With cold days ahead, Halifax Water advises customers to keep an eye on pipes
After widespread pipe bursts in 2023, utility suggests safe heating source near water service lateral
With cold days ahead, Halifax Water wants customers to be aware of their internal plumbing as freezing temperatures can cause issues that lead to loss of water service.
CBC meteorologist Ryan Snoddon said temperatures will be –12 C to –18 C by Tuesday morning with wind chill values in the –20s.
Halifax Water is recommending customers have a safe heat source in the area where the water service lateral enters their home. The lateral is usually located in a basement or utility closet near the water meter.
"We're sending this out based on our experience from February 2023 when we had that extreme cold snap … the ground shifted around a number of homes, especially older homes in the Halifax region, and pipes burst," explained Jeff Myrick, the senior communications manager at Halifax Water.
"And unfortunately, they burst outside of the home but near the foundation. And in cases like that, you will end up having water potentially coming in through the basement and leaking in."
Halifax Water sends out notifications about service interruptions, so if a customer doesn't have water and hasn't seen a notice about a service interruption, it likely means their pipes are frozen.
Myrick said keeping the area warm near the lateral could help.
He said a heat source should be used in open areas and not confined spaces. It could be a space heater, a hair dryer or even a heat lamp, and should be monitored. He said open flames should never be used.
Keeping pipes warm
"The quicker you can do it the better because what happens is as the water freezes in the pipe, it starts to spread and it becomes a much bigger problem as it spreads throughout the line," he said.
Myrick said customers can call Halifax Water to turn off the water on the street to alleviate any water that's coming into their basement in the event of a burst pipe.
"If there's no water and you're starting to get water in your basement, you should call us so that you can avoid property damage because we can get there [and] turn off the water at the street so it's not flowing through those cracked lines anymore," he said.
Myrick said it is the homeowner's responsibility to ensure that the pipes on their property are in working condition and can actually supply water to their home.
