With temperatures forecast to rise over the weekend and early next week, the company is anticipating a possible further increase in the number of bursts as pipes freeze and then expand and ground movement caused by frost affects them.
In recent winters, Scotland has experienced several very cold spells, with pipes freezing, followed by quick thawing and this has sometimes caused an increase in the number of bursts and loss of normal water supplies and incidents of flooding and damage to property, causing significant inconvenience and expense for householders and businesses.
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A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “When temperatures fall below zero, water in pipes can freeze and expand and then contract if the temperature rises which can cause them to crack or burst.
“At the start of the winter, we called on anyone with a home, holiday home or business premises to take action to protect their properties and pipes.
“Now, in response to the weather and after an increase in the number of burst pipes this week, we’re asking customers to look out for bursts on the public network on roads and land and on their property – including out-buildings and unoccupied property – and to report bursts on the public network to us so that we can respond and to have bursts on their property repaired as quickly as possible.
“We will work to repair bursts on our network as quickly as possible and, although it is the property owners’ responsibility to have bursts on their property repaired, we can sometimes help with these.
“Scottish Water is monitoring the weather conditions and its network around the clock and has teams of engineers ready to be deployed whenever needed.”
To help reduce the risk of bursts, the utility advises anyone with a home, holiday home or business premises to take action to protect their properties and pipes, whether the property is old or new.
The key advice about pipes is to heat, insulate and protect them.
Visit www.scottishwater.co.uk/winter for further advice