Illinois American Water Encourages
Customers to Prepare for Cold Weather
Belleville, Ill. (Nov. 22, 2021) – Before frigid temperatures
arrive, Illinois American Water is encouraging homeowners to take steps now to
prevent water damage from frozen and burst pipes. Tips also cover frozen water meters, which can
bring costly plumbing repairs and replacement fees along with headaches and
unexpected expense to homeowners.
“We
know cold weather will come soon enough, so now is the time for customers to
take preventative steps to avoid frozen pipes and water meters. Preparing now
can help customers avoid damaged plumbing inside and outside of their homes,”
said Beth Matthews, vice president of operations.
Before temperatures are below freezing
customers should:
· Check
sprinkler or irrigation systems. Make sure
you have turned everything off and fully drained the systems.
· Identify
your home’s freezing points. Check your home for pipes in
areas that may be prone to freezing, such as crawl spaces, unheated rooms,
basements, garages and exterior walls.
· Know
the location of the main water shut-off valve. If
a pipe freezes or bursts, shut off water immediately.
· Protect
your pipes and water meters. Customers are encouraged to wrap
exposed pipes with insulation or use electrical heat tracing wire; newspaper or
fabric might also work. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit
closed tightly.
When temperatures
stay below freezing customers should:
· Prevent
pipes from freezing. Allow a small trickle of water to
run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. Consider collecting the water for
later use such as watering indoor plants and more. The cost of a short-term
trickle is much less costly than a repair to a burst pipe.
· Open
cabinet doors to expose pipes. Opening cabinet doors exposes
pipes to warmer room temperatures to keep them from freezing.
If pipes freeze
customers should:
· Shut
off the water immediately. Do not attempt to thaw frozen
pipes unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in
pipes or joints.
· Apply
heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat
directly to a pipe. Customers can use a hair dryer,
space heater or hot water. Space heaters should not be left unattended, and
customers should avoid using kerosene heaters or open flames.
· Once
pipes have thawed, water should be turned on slowly and pipes should be checked
for cracks and leaks.
-MORE-
When customers
are away, they should:
· Have
a friend, relative or neighbor regularly check their property
to ensure the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen.
· Consider
purchasing a freeze alarm. The alarm will call a
user-selected phone number if the inside temperature drops below 45 degrees.
Customers are also encouraged to ensure their contact information
is up to date to receive important water service information should their
service be impacted. Customers can
manage their account online, report water emergencies and more at www.illinoisamwater.com. They can also call 800.422.2782 to update
contact information.
About Illinois American Water -
Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the
largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable
water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American
Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control
and research laboratory in Belleville.
With a history dating back to 1886, American
Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water
and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated
professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater
and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water
provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers
to help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Media Contact: Karen Cotton, Sr. Manager
External Communications, karen.cotton@amwater.com
