As winter sets in and temperatures continue to drop, it is a good time to make sure that your property is protected from the possibility of frozen waterlines.

Frozen waterlines can rupture, causing property damage by flooding homes. Help protect your property by following the suggestions below:

To prevent frozen waterlines:

• Properly winterize vacant properties.
• Add insulation or heat tape to exposed waterlines in unheated areas such as basements and crawlspaces.
• Insulate between waterlines and exterior walls.
• Leave cabinet doors open to allow warmer air to circulate below sinks.

If you find that you do not have water service, ask the following questions to identify the extent of the problem and rule out other possible causes:

• Is the outage limited to a single faucet, a single room, or the entire house?
• Are all waterline valves inside your home on?
• Do your neighbors still have water service?
• Is your property owner or property manager performing necessary maintenance?
• Are you current on your utility bill payments?

Once possible causes are ruled out, contact the Water Division at (208) 612-8471 for additional assistance.

You may need to contact a plumber to further investigate the water service outage and, if necessary, thaw frozen waterlines on your property to restore water service.

For additional information on how to prevent frozen waterlines and restore water service, visit the Winterization link on the City of Idaho Falls Water Division’s webpage.

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