Winnipeg, MB - Winnipeg residents are reminded that the City communicates directly with those properties identified as having an increased risk of the City’s portion of the water pipe freezing (from the water main to the shut-off valve, usually at the property line). These property owners are advised both in writing and by telephone to take the preventative measure of running one cold water tap inside the property running at a trickle all the time.
To date, the City has directly advised 7,256 properties to take this precautionary measure. These customers will not have to pay for the water loss caused by leaving a tap running as long as they provide two water meter readings (a reading at the time the tap is left running continuously and a reading when advised by the City to stop running the tap continuously).
If property owners do not receive a notice from the City, it is important that they do not leave a tap running continuously due to the operational risks that would be caused by the increased flow into our sewers (e.g., sewer backup, basement flooding, sewage treatment plant upset). The risks will increase as significant runoff from spring melt enters the sewer system. Customers who are not notified to run a cold tap will be responsible for all water and sewer charges associated with running the water continuously if they choose to take that action.
Those water pipes at risk of freezing will remain vulnerable over the next few months. It will be at least May or June before the frost, which is currently at an average of about seven to eight feet deep below pavement surfaces, is out of the ground.
In addition to direct communication with customers, the City launched an enhancement to its Electronic Citizens' Information Service (e-CIS) on March 17, 2014, to provide an option for residents to self-serve for this property information. This system contains the most up-to-date, reliable information available on properties deemed to be at risk of the City’s portion of the water pipe freezing.
When citizens search an address on e-CIS they will receive information on whether or not that property is currently identified as being at an increased risk of the City's portion of the water pipe freezing (from the water main to the shut-off valve, usually at the property line).
If an address is on the notification list, e-CIS will display the following:
“This address is currently on the list of properties that have been notified to run their water to prevent the City’s portion of the water pipe from freezing. See Frozen Pipes for more information.”
If an address is not on the notification list, e-CIS will display the following:
“This address is NOT currently on the list of properties that have been notified to run their water to prevent the City’s portion of the water pipe from freezing. See Frozen Pipes for more information.”
Properties are added to the at-risk list based on an ongoing risk assessment. Properties at an elevated risk of the water pipe freezing are primarily identified based on a combination of the following factors:
- properties on the side of the street with water pipes that extend long distances under pavement,wherethe frost is typically much deeper,
- city blocks with a higher density of reported frozen water pipes, based on the premise that houses in the same street block will be of similar vintage/design standards and therefore are at a similar risk level.
This winter there has been a sudden and dramatic increase in frozen water pipes due to prolonged periods of frigid temperatures and deeper-than-usual frost penetration into the ground. This is the second coldest winter in 75 years and the frost is currently at an average of about seven to eight feet deep below pavement surfaces.
For more information about frozen pipes, please visit winnipeg.ca/frozenpipes