The city said Wednesday evening that water bills will show no adjustments even as homeowners are being urged to run water to prevent a frozen water line.
The city released the following information Wednesday to property owners:
The City of Mason City is not providing a reduction or adjustment in customer’s water bills for running of water to maintain your private service line. It is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain the service line.
The standard recommendation is to run the water at a stream of approximately a pencil diameter to keep water flowing through the private service line. Running a stream of water the approximate size of a pencil will cost the customer about $2.50 per day.
As the reports of frozen water service lines are continually increasing, you are being urged to take appropriate action to protect your private property. Citizens reporting water temperatures in the low to mid 30 degree range indicates that the potential for frozen service lines is greater than a week or two ago.
As a precaution, the city continues to urge citizens to monitor the temperature of the water from an inside cold faucet. Allow the water to run for a minute or two to assure you are recording a good measured temperature. If the measured temperature is below 40 degrees you should consider opening a cold water faucet to a slow stream. By keeping the water moving you should prevent the service line from freezing. This information should be used only as a guideline with additional judgment exercised for each individual situation.
The number of reported frozen service lines this year is out of the ordinary. This is due to the unusually deep frost lines which appear to be migrating ever deeper. It is important to understand that even when air temperatures improve, the frost line will continue to advance deeper into the ground. This will continue as temperatures remain cold, and for several weeks beyond even as permanent warm spring time temperatures arrive.
When I lived in a mobile home, I wrapped the pipes with electrical heat wrap tape. Worked good. I also built a solar hot water heater and cooked 40 gallons of water to 140 degrees, with usable warm water up until 2 am! Solar works!!
Senator philly…electrical heat tape doesn’t work underground which is where the pipes are for homeowners who don’t live in a van down by the river….also why hot water only up till 2am?
@Philly-heat tapes won’t work as most of these water lines are buried 6 to 8 feet deep. Heat tape would work in a sub-basement or water pipes that are exposed in a basement but not for buried lines.
Your water lines, your responsibility.
When affluent neighborhoods with a build it quick and on the cheap have problems the city in the end will do something. The citizens with older houses with actual craftsmanship will not have to worry as much.
@DJW-You are absolutely correct. I know of no one up here who has had that problem. All of our water mains are at least 8 feet deep. The worst area is out on snob hill where their lines are freezing. Part of that is because they are build on quicksand that is full of water.
Who would ever expect that bunch to do anything good for anyone other than the Country Club people. Now, if the Chamber wanted to buy some more UGLY statues they would come up with the money.