The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for heavy snowfall across parts of the UK later this week, NI Water said on 6 February 2024. In a statement published that day, the water utility urged local people to prepare for below zero temperatures and avoid potential burst water pipes1.
NI Water said a frozen outdoor tap can cause more serious damage if the pipe bursts and a joint inside a property comes apart and leaks. Its education officer, Anna Killen, said outside taps can become frozen and burst during cold weather and should be checked and protected in the same way as indoor pipes1.
"With the Met Office issuing a yellow warning for heavy snowfall across parts of the UK later this week, NI Water is urging local people to prepare for below zero temperatures and avoid potential burst water pipes."
The statement set out steps NI Water says households can take ahead of cold weather1:
| NI Water advice | Detail given |
|---|---|
| Insulate outdoor taps | Consider an insulating tap cover; a free outdoor tap cover can be ordered with other water saving items at getwaterfit.co.uk after completing the home water audit |
| Lag pipes and tanks | Wrap pipes and water tanks with lagging; DIY stores stock the materials |
| Fix dripping taps | Even a small trickle can result in a frozen pipe |
| Know the stop tap | Find the home's stop tap and make sure it can be turned off; most are under the kitchen sink |
| Heating when away | Leave the heating on low if going away |
| Boiler | Check the central heating boiler has been serviced |
| Plumber | Keep a plumber's name handy; Watersafe lists accredited plumbing businesses by postcode, and SNIPEF (the Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation) has a website at needaplumber.org.uk |
For a tap that has already frozen, NI Water advises wrapping it in a towel soaked in hot water or pouring warm, not hot, water over it. If that does not work, it says the best thing to do is phone a plumber before the problem gets worse1. Leaks can be reported to NI Water online at niwater.com/report-a-leak-or-burst-pipe or on 0800 0282011; the statement says lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week1. The statement also gives a second number, 08088 028 2011, for reporting a leak or burst pipe1.
Why it matters for households
The warning covers parts of the UK later this week, and NI Water's message is aimed at people in its area to act now so properties are ready for the cold. The practical risks it names are frozen and burst outdoor taps, burst pipes and leaks at joints inside the home. Its advice covers outdoor taps, lagging, dripping taps, the stop tap, heating when away, boiler servicing and finding a plumber, and it asks people to report leaks to NI Water1. The Met Office warning itself, including which areas are covered and the dates it runs, has not been reported beyond NI Water's reference to a yellow warning for heavy snowfall later this week1. The Met Office weather warnings guide explains the yellow, amber and red levels, and households can read how to sign up for Met Office weather alerts. More general preparation is covered in the storms and snow hub.
What happens next
The snowfall warning is for later this week, from the date of the statement on 6 February 20241. No further dates, and no detail of areas affected, have been reported1.
Sources (1)
- How to protect an outside tap from freezing, niwater.com
Met Office Weather Warnings
