NI Water Advice to Business Owners During the Thaw
10 January 2025 15:25
NI Water is calling on business owners to be prepared for the thaw coming this afternoon through to Saturday by ensuring they know where their stop valve is located should they need to turn their water off in the event of a burst.
With below zero temperatures experienced since the New Year, water in pipes may have frozen. This means when they start to thaw the pipes will contract, causing them to crack or burst. Water from burst pipes can cause costly structural damage to a property, which may lead to months of repair work. There is also the cost of replacing furniture and electrical items which may also have been destroyed.
Brian McCalmont, Head of Water with NI Water, said: “Your business is your livelihood and the water supply to your business is valuable. A burst pipe can have more implications than the immediate water damage caused. A business can close for weeks while the damage is repaired, losing vital income. Your water bill is also likely to be higher.
“Unfortunately, it’s something many of us don’t think about until something goes wrong. It’s easy to panic, but if you have a plan in place you can turn off your water at your stop valve and minimise the damage.”
Prepare your business with the following simple steps:
- Locate your stop valve and make sure all your staff know where it is and how to turn it off
- If your business is beside an empty premises have an emergency contact number of the estate agent or owner in the event of a burst pipe leaking into your premises
- If you have a meter, know where it is and check it regularly. A higher than normal meter reading can be the first indicator that there may be a leak on your property
- Have the number of a plumber who knows where your premises is and is prepared to attend at night if needed
- Make sure you have adequate insurance to cover your property in the event of a burst pipe
What to do if you have a burst pipe:
- Turn off your stop valve (turn it clockwise) - most are under the kitchen sink and if you have one of our stop valve tags, wrap this around it. You can receive a stop valve tag by completing NI Water’s online water audit at www.getwaterfit.co.uk
- Phone your plumber - type in your postcode at www.watersafe.org.uk to find your nearest accredited plumbing business
- Phone your insurance company - check your insurance company offers you protection from the large scale damage that mother nature can sometimes cause
- Report a burst or leak – members of the public can alert NI Water of any leaks or bursts by visiting www.niwater.com/report-a-leak-or-burst-pipe/ or using our webchat service online at www.niwater.com/contact-us/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/niwater and X (formerly Twitter) @niwnews.
Ends
Media enquiries to the NI Water Press Office via email to press.office@niwater.com
Notes to editors
- NI Water’s Customer Care Register also offers a range of free additional services if you are an older consumer, have a serious medical condition or need extra help for any other reason. To find out more about joining our Customer Care Register and the extra free services you or anyone in your household would like to receive please visit www.niwater.com/customer-care-register/
- NI Water also encourages customers to sign up to its free text alert service which keeps you updated about anything that may impact on your water supply or any of our other services in the area. We will only ever contact you in any situation that might affect you or your property. We will never use this information for marketing purposes, and it is completely free. Our aim is to have the ability to contact customers at our fingertips but we need them to sign up to this by registering their details here https://www.niwater.com/register-for-keeping-you-informed/ The more details we have, the more informed customers will be regarding their water supply.