WESSEX Water managed to supply its customers when the ‘Beast from the East’ struck in March and burst pipes during freezing conditions left thousands of people in other parts of the UK without supply.

But Wessex Water’s customers did not suffer the same fate - thanks to the company’s pioneering £228 million water supply grid, which allows water to be moved around its region to areas of need and was key to keeping Wiltshire customers supplied.

Two reports published on Tuesday (19 June) by the water industry regulator Ofwat and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), reviewed the water companies’ handling of the freezing conditions.

Ofwat said: “Wessex Water used technology effectively during this incident to identify the sources of leaks and complete repairs quickly.”

The DWI said: “Wessex Water managed its operations without any loss of supplies to consumers despite the company’s area being covered by the red weather warning issued for the South West.”

“The company attributes this to the robust preparations made in the period leading up to the start of the freeze, and its strategic supply network which allows water to be transferred across different parts of the company’s area.”

While it is not the responsibility of water companies to fix leaks on private supply pipes, Wessex Water issued advice about lagging pipes and arranged for bottled water to be delivered to customers in vulnerable situations.

Ashlea Lane, director of water supply for Wessex Water, said: “While some people in the UK were without water during the freeze-thaw event, thankfully our careful planning paid off and we were able to keep customers in supply.

“There’s no doubt that our newly-built water supply grid was key to being able to move water to areas that were affected most by the extreme conditions.

“Our staff worked day and night to put customers first, choosing to stay on and provide extra help rather than going home to their families. This underpins how committed they are to the communities we serve.”

Wessex Water dealt with around 200 weather-related leaks and gave advice to more than 1,500 customers who had problems in their homes during the cold snap.

The company has released video footage on social media of the impressive 74km water supply pipeline, which runs from Dorset to Wiltshire.