Battle Creek Times

In today's Snowtification, we want to give you some winter water check-in tips - 

° Sometimes, and in some parts of the city, we might send you a letter when it's especially cold suggesting you run a trickle of water in your home. This can help prevent frozen pipes in areas that have previously experienced frozen pipes. But again, most neighbors do NOT have to do this most of the time. We keep tabs on the ground freeze level, and let you know when it will help.

° Check your crawl spaces and basements, where water lines are. Make sure these areas have access to heat, and no cold drafts, so pipes and meters don't freeze. If your meter is in a cabinet, keep the door partly open.

° Look for water pipes and meters near windows and outside walls, and air leaks between your home's foundation and wood structure. A draft in these areas could be cold enough to freeze pipes.

° We hope you have done this already, but in case you still have a hose attached to an outside faucet, make sure you remove it. This way, your faucets can drain properly, and it is less likely they will freeze, which could flood your basement.

° If you have a fire hydrant in the yard area of your home, we greatly appreciate if you can help clear the snow around it, like in the photo. This gives our Fire Department and Water Division quick access if they need to reach a hydrant for water or maintenance. We thank you!

Original source can be found here.