Winnipeg, MB - With the onset of frigid winter temperatures, the City is recommending that property owners take measures to weatherproof their basements or crawlspaces to prevent internal plumbing from freezing within their homes. Internal plumbing that is not protected can be vulnerable to freezing every winter. 311 receives a number of reports every year from properties with no water due to frozen internal plumbing. So far this winter, there have been 23 reports of no water due to frozen internal plumbing, all within the last week.
Internal plumbing refers to any pipes, including fittings, valves and fixtures, which carry water from the point where the private water service pipe enters a building to the taps. Some of the preventative measures to protect the internal plumbing include:
- Insulate areas of your home containing water pipes, including crawl spaces, garages and attics.
- Insulate water pipes (both hot and cold) near the exterior walls, especially those facing north.
- Weather-seal your windows.
- Check for air leaks around electrical outlets, dryer vents and pipes. Seal these leaks with caulking or insulation to keep cold air away from your pipes.
- Heat areas of your home containing water pipes so that warm air will prevent them from freezing.
- Keep the garage door closed if there are water pipes inside.
- Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to uninsulated pipes under sinks and appliances near outside walls.
Single-family homeowners are responsible for their private water service pipe - from the shut-off valve (usually at the property line) to the taps, including all internal plumbing. For assistance with thawing frozen internal plumbing, property owners must contact a plumber.
City is prepared to respond to underground frozen pipes
During an average winter, the City responds to a small number of reports of underground frozen pipes on the private property owner’s portion of the pipe (from the building to the shut-off valve). The cause is highly variable from property to property and depends on a number of factors (e.g., soil shrinkage around the foundation allowing deeper frost penetration, depth of pipe, insulation along the length of the pipe, new properties where the soil hasn’t fully settled). Property owners can hire a contractor to thaw their pipe or contact the City for thawing services at a cost of $305. In a typical winter, the City can usually provide same day thawing service (or within 24 hours, depending on when the no water problem is reported to 311).
Although less common, some of the City’s water pipes are also vulnerable to freezing during winters with prolonged periods of extremely cold weather and deeper than usual frost penetration. Even though City water service pipes are at least 2.1 metres (seven feet) deep, some may be vulnerable to freezing due to the following factors:
- they extend long distances under concrete (roads and sidewalks),
- they do not have a blanket of snow or other insulating cover,
- they are adjacent to other infrastructure that contributes to deeper than usual frost penetration (e.g., catch basins).
This season, there have been no reports of underground frozen water pipes, either on private property or City property.
The City is prepared for the possibility of another winter of higher than usual frozen water pipes, including vigilantly monitoring a number of conditions that contribute to frozen water pipes, such as frost depth and weather patterns. Based on all available information to date (e.g., excavations for water and sewer work), the current frost penetration is estimated at less than 0.3 metres (1.0 foot). Plans are progressing to install frost depth monitors at select locations by the end of the year.
It is important to note that frost depth is highly variable across the city, often differing from street to street. Some of the factors known to affect frost penetration are snow depth and density, ground cover (e.g., vegetation, concrete), proximity of adjacent infrastructure (e.g., catch basin), atmospheric pressure, exposure to sunshine, initial soil temperature, moisture content of the soil, soil type, weather, and organic matter contained in the soil.
The City will advise property owners directly if and when it becomes necessary to leave a tap running to prevent a frozen water pipe. Residents choosing to run water as a preventative measure without receiving direction from the City would be billed for the full amount of the water and sewer charges.
More details on preventative measures are listed at City of Winnipeg - Frozen Water Pipes.
A summary report on the impact of cold weather on water infrastructure, including average frost depth, number of reports of frozen pipes and frozen internal plumbing, and the City’s average thawing response time, is available at City of Winnipeg - Frozen Water Pipes. The report will be updated weekly until further notice.