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Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/12/30/northern.ireland.water/
N. Ireland water crisis prompts emergency meeting
By Peter Taggart, For CNN
December 30, 2010 8:19 a.m. EST
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Some have not had running water since before Christmas
* It could be next week before crisis is resolved
* Doctors are warning of increasing public health risks
Belfast, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- The Northern Ireland government was preparing Thursday to hold an emergency meeting to discuss why more than 30,000 homes and businesses are still without water -- some of them since before Christmas.
The state-owned company Northern Ireland Water said Thursday it could be early next week before all customers are reconnected.
The company said up to 32,000 customers were still affected -- more than half the population of the capital city, Belfast. Substantially more people were affected over the shortage period, officials acknowledged, but could not give a figure.
Northern Ireland Water said the "unprecedented problems" were caused by a rapid thaw, with a huge number of pipes bursting after a dramatic change in temperature -- from minus 16 to 10 degrees Celsius (3 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit) "within a matter of hours..."
N. Ireland water crisis prompts emergency meeting
By Peter Taggart, For CNN
December 30, 2010 8:19 a.m. EST
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Some have not had running water since before Christmas
* It could be next week before crisis is resolved
* Doctors are warning of increasing public health risks
Belfast, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- The Northern Ireland government was preparing Thursday to hold an emergency meeting to discuss why more than 30,000 homes and businesses are still without water -- some of them since before Christmas.
The state-owned company Northern Ireland Water said Thursday it could be early next week before all customers are reconnected.
The company said up to 32,000 customers were still affected -- more than half the population of the capital city, Belfast. Substantially more people were affected over the shortage period, officials acknowledged, but could not give a figure.
Northern Ireland Water said the "unprecedented problems" were caused by a rapid thaw, with a huge number of pipes bursting after a dramatic change in temperature -- from minus 16 to 10 degrees Celsius (3 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit) "within a matter of hours..."