Burst pipes / leaks all over London

[Justjoinedforthis]

Does anyone know why there are so many leaks happening? Two huge ones in my area (Nearish Muswell Hill), one has been going for nearly a week with water gushing everywhere. Then a family member in NW london has no water due to leaks, and also in Belsize Park I just saw in the paper.

Is it related to the cold weather?

Yup, when the temperatures drop below zero for a while the water in the pipes freezes. Because ice is less dense than water it takes up more space, so it expands inside the pipe and can crack it. When the ice thaws back to water, then you become aware of the now ‘burst’ pipe as water pours out of the crack!

Ah thank you! It’s crazy they are just letting it spurt for days on end.

Yes the cracks can be hard to locate and also there may be several in close proximity, so a longer length of pipe needs replacing. As a kid we once got back from holiday to water pouring through the ceiling from a burst pipe!