<p><br /> It could be early next week before all Northern Ireland customers cut off from water supplies are reconnected.<br /> </p><p><br /> About 32,000 properties will be affected but the situation is improving in Belfast.<br /> </p><p><br /> Trevor Haslett, director of engineering at Northern Ireland (NIW), said the situation in urban areas was improving.<br /> </p><p><br /> The ministerial Executive is holding an emergency meeting. The Scottish Government has donated bottled water and the Westminster coalition says it is ready to help.<br /> </p><p><br /> One property in the north of the region was gushing out enough water to cover 2,000-3,000 houses.<br /> </p><p><br /> An extra 40 per cent of water is being put in every day to support dwindling reservoirs but much of this is disappearing in leakages.<br /> </p><p><br /> Temperatures in Northern Ireland hit a pre-Christmas record of minus 18C and were followed by a dramatic thaw, causing thousands of burst pipes.<br /> </p><p><br /> Laurence Mackenzie, chief executive of NIW, is facing calls from political rivals of Sinn Fein water minister Conor Murphy to resign.<br /> </p><p><br /> "My focus at the minute is getting through this situation," he said. "I have been in here since the issue arose. I believe I am doing the best I can to keep the team together and keep focused."<br /> </p>
