Illinois American Water Cold Weather Tips To Prevent Frozen Pipes
Belleville, Ill. (January 15, 2024) – With frigid temperatures occurring across the state, Illinois American Water is reminding homeowners and businesses to take steps to prevent frozen water pipes. These tips can also help protect the local water service team as they perform critical work for reliable, safe water service.
Customers should:
- Allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. Customers should 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.
Vice President of Operations Beth Matthews said, “These two tips are most important. They help residents keep their home plumbing safe, while also supporting our team in the field. Many times, when pipes freeze, customers will assume there is an issue with their water service and call our team to inspect. This can stretch the resources of team members who are working hard in the field to keep water flowing and keeping safety front of mind.”
If in-home pipes freeze, customers should:
- Shut off the water immediately and 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. Use a hair dryer, space heater or hot water. Space heaters should not be left unattended. Avoid using kerosene heaters or open flames.
- Once pipes thaw, water should be turned on slowly and pipes should be checked for cracks and leaks.
When customers are away from home, they should:
- Have someone regularly check their property to ensure the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen.
- Consider a freeze alarm. The alarm will call a user-selected phone number if the inside temperature drops below 45 degrees.
Other tips:
- Residents should keep snow cleared away from fire hydrants located near their residence. This can help local firefighters in the event of an emergency.
- Direct customers of Illinois American Water should keep account contact information updated to receive important information if their water service is impacted. Customers can update information online at www.illinoisamwater.com or by calling 800-422-2782. Residents not directly served by Illinois American Water should check community resources for information.
- Customers can report a water emergency online at illinoisamwater.com.
About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.
As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $34 to $38 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of
executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.
American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.
For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formally Twitter) and Instagram.
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 wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. For more information, visit www.illinoisamwater.com and follow Illinois American Water on Twitter and Facebook.
Belleville, Ill. (January 15, 2024) – With frigid temperatures occurring across the state, Illinois American Water is reminding homeowners and businesses to take steps to prevent frozen water pipes. These tips can also help protect the local water service team as they perform critical work for reliable, safe water service.
Customers should:
- Allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. Customers should 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.
Vice President of Operations Beth Matthews said, “These two tips are most important. They help residents keep their home plumbing safe, while also supporting our team in the field. Many times, when pipes freeze, customers will assume there is an issue with their water service and call our team to inspect. This can stretch the resources of team members who are working hard in the field to keep water flowing and keeping safety front of mind.”
If in-home pipes freeze, customers should:
- Shut off the water immediately and 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. Use a hair dryer, space heater or hot water. Space heaters should not be left unattended. Avoid using kerosene heaters or open flames.
- Once pipes thaw, water should be turned on slowly and pipes should be checked for cracks and leaks.
When customers are away from home, they should:
- Have someone regularly check their property to ensure the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen.
- Consider a freeze alarm. The alarm will call a user-selected phone number if the inside temperature drops below 45 degrees.
Other tips:
- Residents should keep snow cleared away from fire hydrants located near their residence. This can help local firefighters in the event of an emergency.
- Direct customers of Illinois American Water should keep account contact information updated to receive important information if their water service is impacted. Customers can update information online at www.illinoisamwater.com or by calling 800-422-2782. Residents not directly served by Illinois American Water should check community resources for information.
- Customers can report a water emergency online at illinoisamwater.com.
About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.
As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $34 to $38 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of
executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.
American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.
For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formally Twitter) and Instagram.
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 wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. For more information, visit www.illinoisamwater.com and follow Illinois American Water on Twitter and Facebook.