Water giant Severn Trent has called in extra staff to help cope with the sudden onset of winter weather, ahead of an expected surge in call-outs to burst pipes.

The firm has drafted in extra call centre staff and has extra 4×4 vehicles ready to respond in bad weather after it was revealed snow could fall over Staffordshire and the Black Country at the weekend.

Colder weather wreaks havoc on household water pipes as well as water mainprompting advance preparations for Severn Trent staff.

When water freezes within a pipe it expands, putting more pressure on the pipes and joints, often causing pipes to split or joints to pull apart.

Griff Watkins who works for Severn Trent in the Staffordshire area, said today: “We’re well prepared for the winter this year. We’ve got extra people in our call centres to help deal with the increase in work coming in and we’ve got extra 4×4 vehicles and other kit to help us actually get at the work in bad weather.”

Severn Trent is only responsible for the water mains and service pipes in the public highway. Anything inside the property boundary is the responsibility of the homeowner. The company, which supplies 3.7 million homes and businesses in the Midlands and mid Wales, has issued top tips for protecting household pipes.

These include wrapping pipework with insulation and use a good quality lagging.

It is also important to know where the stop tap is located and that it is working properly.

Other advice includes making sure heating is on at regular intervals even while the house is empty to ensure pipes don’t freeze.

Where more than one house is affected by water problems, call Severn Trent’s 24-hour emergency number to report the problem on 0800 7834444 and for more tips visit  www.stwater.co.uk/winter