HOMES in Scotland are being told not to unnecessarily use up water after extreme weather caused burst pipes.

Residents across London and south east England were the first to be told to use as little water as possible on Sunday.

Now, Scottish Water has said its workers have sprung into action across the country in areas affected by bad conditions.

The corporation said: “We are continuing to respond to reports from customers who require support or report issues with supply.

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Weather and road conditions have presented challenges in maintaining our usual response services and we apologise if you’ve experienced a delay in us getting to you.

So far, Scottish Water has put a “Do Not Drink Water” restriction in place for customers in the PH19 postal area.

Customers affected are advised not to use water for drinking, preparing food, or brushing their teeth. However, it may be used for bathing and flushing the toilet, with special care when bathing children and babies.

The team added: “A yellow warning is currently in place and both weather and driving conditions remain challenging. 

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“We will remain focused during this current period of adverse weather on ensuring we respond to customer support calls in as effective a manner as possible.

“We are actively managing our resources around the country to respond to issues as they are reported to us

“With the current winter weather set to extend, and the possibility of further freezing temperatures, we are reminding customers of the steps they should take to protect their property to prevent flooding from burst pipes.”

On Monday morning, a burst water main was located in the Hillhead area of Glasgow, causing no water, low pressure and discoloured water to some properties in the area.

Further information, including videos on what to do when pipes freeze and burst, is available at scottishwater.co.uk/winter.

Thames Water said around 12,000 homes were left with no running water following the recent deep freeze and thaw, while several water companies said they were also tackling multiple bursts on their networks.

Four companies - Thames Water, South East Water, Southern Water and Affinity Water - urged customers who do have running water only to use it where essential.

In a joint statement, they said: “Where possible, take short showers rather than baths, do not leave taps running unnecessarily and only run washing machines and dishwashers when you have a full load.

“This will make a real difference.”

Mark McEwen, customer service manager, Scottish Water, said: "Scottish Water is continuing to closely monitor and respond to the impact of the severe winter weather on our networks, infrastructure and supply to customers.

"At present there is no significant customer impact in Scotland, although we have responded to a number of localised issues and a higher than usual number of calls from across the country in relation to burst pipes & leaks. 

"A key factor in the current situation is that Scotland has not been subject to the rapid thaw which has taken place in some parts of England & Wales.

"While it’s not possible to fully predict the number of burst pipes which might occur, we have increased resources so we can match demand from customers. 

"We would also remind customers of the winter advice to protect property and pipes during available on our website at www.scottishwater.co.uk/winter."