The City of Kimberley is asking residents to keep an eye on their water lines. If you have a history of your water service line freezing, or if you are noticing a reduced water flow in your home, leave one tap running cold water (stream should be size of a pencil). This will prevent your lines from freezing. You will need to keep the water running 24/7 until mid-April to avoid refreezing.
“We are seeing an increase in residents experiencing frozen water service lines,” said Mayor Ron McRae. “City crews are getting backed up with requests for assistance.”
The problems have been increasing for the past three weeks to a month, ever since the last bout of cold weather, McRae says.
“It is related to that cold weather. As temperatures warm up there is an increase in the frost depth in the ground — the frost retreats further into the ground. We are seeing an increase in frozen lines in Marysville, which is unusual.”
If you do freeze up, you can run a feeder hose from your neighbour’s house.
Please ensure that the water is kept running the entire time that the hose is connected - run it into a sink or bathtub to ensure the hose does not freeze. Burying the hose in the snow and/or using pipe wrap can also help to keep the hose from freezing, but remember to keep the water running at all times. (see diagram)