Frigid weather leads to frozen pipes in Winnipeg

A recent blast of bitter cold temperatures had led to115 reports of residents with no water due to frozen internal plumbing, according to Winnipeg city officials.

Thatrefers to any pipes, including fittings, valves and fixtures thatcarry water through a buildingto the taps.

So far, just fourreports have come in about the underground water pipes being frozen. All four involved the property owner's portion of pipe.

That number isa far cry from the winter of 2013-14 when2,417 underground pipesfroze, leaving city crews scrambling.

In 2014-15, there were 238 underground pipes that needed to be thawed and 290 internal ones. That's through the entire winter, however. By the end of December 2014, there was just one undergroundand 55 internal frozen pipes.

The City of Winnipeg's water services manager Tim Shanks said this year is fairly typical compared to others. He said residents shouldn't worry about another frozen pipe crisis.

"We're in a completely different situation now and we're far better prepared and able, we have the capacity to thaw more pipes than we ever have."

In2015-16, there was a total of 11 underground and 76 internal. At the end of December 2015, there was zerounderground ones and12 internal.

For the 2016-17 season, the total was seven underground and 99 internal. The total at the end of December 2016 was two underground and45 internal.

To protect internal pipes,the city recommendspeople weatherproof their basements or crawl spaces to block out the coldest air.

The following steps can be taken to prevent plumbing from freezing:

• Insulate areas of your home containing water pipes, including crawl spaces, garages and attics.
• Insulate water pipes (hot and cold) near the exterior walls, especially those facing north.
• Weather-seal your windows.
• Check for air leaks around electrical outlets, dryer vents and pipes. Seal these leaks with caulking or insulation to keep cold air away from your pipes.
• Heat areas of your home containing water pipes.
• Keep the garage door closed if there are water pipes inside.
• Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un-insulated pipes under sinks and appliances near outside walls.

More information is available on the City of Winnipeg's website.