Wonderful on Tap

When the ground freezes and thaws, it causes movement around our underground pipes, sometimes causing them to leak. This is why a cold winter can increase the likelihood of bursts on our network. We’ve ensured we’re geared up by having plenty of people on the ground to find and fix any issues quickly. But we know how essential it is to take care of our network - so it takes care of you in return.

We do this through a number of ways:

• Regular maintenance and monitoring of our pipes to check their condition
• Investing in the ongoing replacement and repairs to pipes that are at risk of bursting   
• Investing in extra storage capacity in some areas, meaning we have additional supplies we can take water from if we need to
• Working with industry experts to continually develop our knowledge, techniques and skills.

By investing in leading-class technology we can minimise the risk of burst pipes and water loss on our network. We're working with lots of innovative and pretty nifty bits of kit to help us with problematic issues such as; finding leaks and (pipe) pressure control. Here are some of great things we've been up to in the tech world:

• We've been busy installing thousands of 'acoustic loggers' across our network that will enable us to listen for leaks and quickly pinpoint their exact location
  
• We've been detecting leaks by air using drones but now we're doing it from space! Following a successful pilot, we're now using satellite technology to help us detect leaks in remote areas
  
• Developed and launched a video calling service that allows customers to speak ‘face-to-face’ with an engineer when spotting and reporting a leak
  
• We're working with US-based WatchTower Robotics on creating and trailing a UK-specific leak-finding robot that travels through underground pipes.  

Water helps make winter wonderful and we never want you to be without it. But when a burst happens on your property it can stop us from getting our wonderful water
straight to your taps.

That's why we're committed to working closely with all our customers and communities to share our tips and advice on how to protect pipes from the cold. 

We also offer a range of personalised services – whatever your needs. Our range of services include; alternative formats, password protection scheme and nominee scheme.

If you have a medical or mobility need that means you use a lot of water, or have difficulty leaving your home, register for our priority services so we can give you the tailored help and support you need.

We’ll do as much as we can to ensure you always have a supply of water in the event of an interruption or emergency, so that you can continue to enjoy your warm showers and cosy cuppas all winter.