Pipe freezing still a concern as temperatures begin warming up
Published 7:00 pm Saturday, March 29, 2014
The weather may be warming, but waterlines aren’t 100 percent in the clear yet.
Austin Utilities General Manager Mark Nibaur said his office has heard of fewer reports of frozen water lines the last few weeks, but he urged residents to keep watching things closely.
“That doesn’t mean that those customers are out of danger yet,” he said.
So far this winter and spring, Austin Utilities has heard of 147 reported frozen water lines.
Though the weather may be warming, that doesn’t mean the ground frost — still said to be close to 5 feet deep in spots, according to reports — is following suit.
Nibaur recommended residents continue tracking the temperature of their water. Residents should leave a pencil-sized stream of water running if it drops below 40 degrees.
“Keep monitoring it, because it could drop back down,” he said.