BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Frustration and fears of disease mounted in Northern Ireland Wednesday as 36,000 people were left without water after much of the supply drained away through broken pipes following a deep freeze and a sudden thaw.
In many towns and cities water supplies were cut off and residents turned to emergency water tankers and bottled water for their cooking, cleaning and drinking needs.
Doctors warned of potential disease outbreaks if the situation is not quickly remedied, but officials said it would take several days or more to bring back all service.
“This may go on for another short period but we are doing our best to keep it as short as possible to get those reservoir levels up and provide water to our customers,” said Liam Mulholland, of Northern Ireland Water.
He said the shortage had been aggravated by the many vacant properties that have experienced burst pipes, allowing water to drain away until technicians can trace and repair the problem.
The company’s website lists some 80 towns and cities with disrupted water supplies and also advises customers where they can find emergency supplies.
There was also substantial flooding in Northern Ireland, with some floodwaters contaminated by sewage, raising public health concerns.
Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy is having crisis talks with officials to discuss ways to quickly restore service and the Northern Ireland Executive has scheduled an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss the crisis.
Alison McCrystal, spokeswoman for the water company, urged consumers not to wash their cars, hose down their properties or do “anything unnecessary” to waste water during the shortfall.
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