The City of Martensville recently issued a public service announcement regarding water line freeze ups occurring among Martensville residents. When this happens, it can cause an interruption in your service and can lead to damage to your pipes and to your home if the pipes burst. “A number of factors can contribute to the freezing of water lines. This year has been particularly troublesome for waterline freeze-ups due to the repeated cycles of freezing and thawing, which drives the frost line deeper. This freeze – thaw cycling as well as lack of snow, which acts as insulation, have made shallow waterlines susceptible to freezing,” Matt Gruza, City of Martensville Acting Director of Infrastructure, explained.
To help prevent this issue from happening, Gruza states that the “best prevention for frozen waterlines is proper construction and installation which conform to applicable building codes. Unfortunately some homes were built before our current building codes were adopted and they may be prone to waterline freeze-ups under certain conditions.” For residents that will be away for an extended period of time, Gruza also added that “it can be helpful to keep one tap in their home running at a very slow trickle. This moving water can be enough to prevent a freeze-up.”
This year, there has been an influx in calls regarding frozen water lines and the City advises that residents with existing drip lines installed are requested to contact Public Works at (306) 291-2266 or (306) 931-2308 to arrange an appointment to have the drip-line in your home inspected, turned on and adjusted. This can help prevent water line freeze-ups.
For residents without a drip line that experience a waterline freeze-up, or any other interruption to their service, contact (306) 931-2166. If it is an after-hours emergency, you will be prompted on who to contact.
