This winter’s extremely deep frost levels are causing a spike in frozen water lines across much of the Metro and headaches for residents.
According to Roseville’s Director of Public Works Duane Schwartz, the city is receiving three to six calls each day reporting new frozen lines. As a result, he is recommending that residents take the temperature of the cold water coming from their tap periodically to make sure they are not in the freeze-up danger zone.
If the cold water temperature coming from the tap is at or below 35 degrees, a service line may be in danger of freezing up. To lessen the possibility of a line freeze when cold water temps are at or below 35 degrees, the city recommends that residents let their water run at a continuous stream the size of the lead of a pencil from a faucet. This should be done until the end of March or until the cold water temperature comes back above 35 degrees.
The additional water cost of 50-100 gallons per day is about $10 per month, a good value compared to the $500-$1,500 price of thawing a frozen line. Additional, if your service line does freeze it may be several days wait to get a contractor to respond as most have long waiting lists.
Residents with questions about freezing pipes can contact Roseville Public Works at 651-792-7004 between 8 AM and 4:30 PM.