We want to advise our customers that when cold weather approaches, they should take the time to prepare their buildings to prevent water lines and water meters from freezing.  Frozen meters will break and frozen pipes will stop the flow of water and may burst causing flooding later on.  The most important preventive measure is to check basements and crawl spaces where water lines are located.  Look for cold drafts, open windows, or unheated areas that cause water lines and meters to freeze.  Eliminate the drafts and make sure those areas are heated to prevent this inconvenience.  Insulating indoor pipes may provide a cheap and effective way to save some money, especially hot water lines.

In situations where the underground water line from the street to a building lies near the surface, freezing can take place during periods of little or no water consumption.  This can happen only after a prolonged period of extreme cold when the ground freezes to the depth of the water service line.

In case of frozen water lines within the Right of Way, the BPW shall provide a thawing service according to the following policy:

• The BPW will respond to requests to thaw frozen services.
• If the freezing occurs in the portion of the water service belonging to the BPW (i.e. from the main to the curb stop) the customer will not be charged for thawing.
• The BPW will bear the cost of lowering its portion of the water service if the freezing problem has been caused by the shallow depth of the service.
• The BPW may authorize the customer to run water to prevent additional freezing until the replacement can be made. The additional water used will be deducted from the customer’s utility bill.
• If the freezing occurs after the BPW has lowered the water service from the main to the curb stop, the customer will be responsible for the cost of thawing the service.
• If the freezing problem is in the customer’s portion of the service the expense of rectifying the problem, should he/she choose to do so, is his/her responsibility.
• Any damage caused to the customer’s portion of the service as a result of freezing and/or thawing must be repaired at the customer’s expense.

Once again, we remind our customers to keep the areas heated where water meters and water service lines exist.  If the water meter is damaged due to freezing, the customer will be responsible for a water meter replacement cost.