BURST WATER mains and dry reservoirs have left thousands of homes in Northern Ireland without access to mains water.
Northern Ireland Water has brought in extra staff to try and cope with the “unprecedented” demands. In the past week its emergency line received 16,000 calls, with 9,000 of those coming since Christmas Day when the thaw was beginning.
A number of reservoirs are reported to have run dry because pipes supplying them were damaged.
NI Water is making bottled water available for householders who have been left without water mains supply for more than 24 hours.
The main areas affected include Belfast, Derry, Dungannon, Omagh, Armagh, Newry and Craigavon.
Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy (Sinn Féin), whose department is responsible for NI Water, said that the company had informed him that staff were “working around the clock to repair bursts to water mains and restore supplies as quickly as possible”.
In Lurgan in Co Armagh,sewage flooded through homes in the Shankill estate. It is believed the problem was caused by flooded drains.