Not every household is at risk. Please call us if:
• you have a history of frozen water service, and
• you are experiencing unusually low water pressure, and
• you have unusually cold water (less than 2° C) running from your tap. If you run water without direction from the County, you will incur water use charges.
Frozen Water Services
Homeowners are responsible for ensuring the pipes and water meter are kept in a manner that prevents freezing.
On this page:
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes Video
What to do if you suspect water pipes are frozen
If you suspect your indoor plumbing is frozen, the first step is to try running different cold water taps throughout your home. If more than one has running water, your issue is likely internal and a plumber must be consulted.
If all water service to the home has stopped, please contact the County of Brant.
If you are a tenant, your landlord must contact the County of Brant.
The County will work with you to determine where the cause of the frozen service is located including, when necessary, conducting an on-site investigation. Please note that due to the high volume of calls, investigations may be delayed until the following day if the issue is reported after 3:00 pm. We request your patience as we respond to this emerging issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do to protect myself from frozen water service? >
If the frozen service cannot be resolved, and is determined to be a County line issue, the County may work with you and a willing neighbour to set up a temporary water service line through your outside water taps. This temporary water service will provide non-potable water until the ground thaws in the spring. This water is not to be used for consumption and cannot be boiled for such use. You will need to continue to use bottled water for drinking and cooking until regular water service is restored.
If you are set up with a connection from a neighbour, you must leave one tap running constantly at a drinking straw–width stream (1/4 of an inch) in order to ensure your temporary line does not freeze.
Can I drink the water from the temporary line?
No. The water provided by a temporary connection is not potable. It cannot be used for consumption, i.e. drinking or cooking, and cannot be boiled for this purpose. You must continue to use bottled water for drinking and cooking until regular water service is restored.
How long will it take to fix my water service?
It could take until mid-April for regular water service to be restored as the ground around water service lines must thaw out in order for water to start running again. In the interim, the County of Brant may work with you and a willing neighbour to set up a temporary water service line through your outside water taps. The time it takes to set up this line will depend on the number of customers experiencing frozen water service. You will be placed in the queue and provided with an estimated time for connection. If your call comes in overnight, the earliest you should expect a visit is the following day due to hazards posed by completing this work in the dark. It may in fact be several days before crews can visit your property. The water provided by a temporary connection is not potable. It cannot be used for consumption, i.e. drinking or cooking, and cannot be boiled for this purpose. You must continue to use bottled water for drinking and cooking until regular water service is restored. If you are set up with a connection from a neighbour, you must leave one tap running constantly at a pencil–width stream in order to ensure your temporary line does not freeze.
It is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain and/or replace the portion of the water service located within the building, and between the building and the property line. The County of Brant is responsible for the service located between the property line and the watermain. If the freezing occurs on the private side of the property line, the property owner is responsible.
My water service or pipes are frozen; what precautions do I take to protect my home?
Contact your home insurance provider for information on how to protect your home from damage following frozen water service, whether the issue is related to household plumbing or service lines. Every insurance plan could be different so your agent is the best person to provide you with advice on what to do to ensure you will be covered should any damage occur as a result of frozen water impacts. As pipes thaw, cracks and leaks may start to show. You should be vigilant in checking your pipes for leaks.
Why was my water service frozen?
Most water services in the County of Brant are deeply buried for protection against frost. Some water service lines, however, are historically installed at a shallow depth by today’s standards. Extremely cold temperatures, or fluctuations between warm and cold temperatures, can sometimes push frost to a depth that will freeze water services. This winter has created the kind of conditions that cause water service lines to freeze. Extreme cold temperatures can also cause internal freezing where service would not normally be interrupted.
What can I do if my household pipes freeze?
If you turn on your taps and have no water, it could simply be that the pipes in your home are frozen, rather than your service line. Try running different cold water taps throughout the house. If more than one has running water while others don’t, your issue is likely internal. You may want to contact a licensed plumber for assistance. Here are some steps to take if you want to try and thaw indoor pipes yourself, as well as precautions you should be aware of to protect your home:
Precautions
• Do not use a torch with an open flame to thaw pipes, as this is a fire hazard.
• Ensure you know the location of your master water shut-off valve. The frozen pipe may be broken and when the water in it thaws, it will leak. If the pipe is broken, you will need to shut off the water in your house until the pipe is repaired. Steps to thaw a frozen pipe
• If you have a history of frozen pipes, or your water is currently frozen turn on a tap in the basement, preferably the cold water faucet in the laundry room.
• Use a blow dryer, electric blanket or heating pad to warm the suspected frozen pipe for one or two hours. Check blow dryer regularly to ensure it does not overheat; do not leave unattended.
• Place a warm towel or rag around the suspected frozen pipe. • You may also use a portable heater with caution, especially around flammable materials.
• Always use caution when applying any heat source near insulation or other flammable materials.
• Depending on the outside temperature and the extent of freezing within the pipe, the thawing process could take between one and six hours.
• If these steps do not resolve the problem, contact a licensed plumber.
After thawing
• Keep the pipes warm: if the pipe has frozen already it is susceptible to freezing again. Keep this area warm by opening basement, cellar or cupboard doors, and/or by insulating the pipe, and take action to prevent freezing in future years.
• Watch for leaks where the pipe froze: while the pipe was frozen, expanding ice may have cracked or broken your pipe.
How can I reduce the risk of frozen water pipes?
The majority of calls received for frozen water pipes and water meters are a result of inadequate heating and cold air drafts where piping is located in the home. If this is the case, you may wish to contact a plumbing contractor to thaw the lines.
• If you have a history of pipes freezing, you can leave a cold water tap running at a steady stream of about 6 mm or ¼ inch (approximate thickness of a drinking straw) when outside temperatures are below freezing. *Please note: Only those who are requested to run their tap by the County will be compensated for this increased use. Customers running taps to prevent frozen indoor plumbing will be responsible for resulting water use charges.
• Open kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. If piping is located next to exterior walls, leave the cupboard doors under your kitchen and bathroom sinks open. Please take care to remove household cleaners and other items that could harm children or pets while the cupboard doors are open.
• Shut off and drain pipes leading to outside faucets.
• Wrap foam pipe insulation around pipes most susceptible to freezing (e.g. near outside walls, crawl spaces, attics). Insulate all exposed outside water pipes with specially designed foam pipe covers, available at building supply or home improvement stores.
• Seal air leaks in your home and garage, especially in areas where pipes are located.
• If you will be away, you can shut off the main service valve in your basement and open all taps to drain the water out of your plumbing lines to prevent them from freezing. Have someone check your home regularly. Ensure the water service between the main valve and the wall is kept warm / insulated.
• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
• Commercial water customers need to prepare for cold nights as well. Protect fire lines by wrapping all lines exposed to cold temperatures.
How can I correct frozen pipe problems permently?
If your water service line has frozen in the past, and the frozen portion was located on your property, the best solution is to lower your service line to a depth that cannot be penetrated by frost. County of Brant requires new water lines to be buried at a depth of 1.8 metres. Property owners with existing water services are asked to contact the County of Brant’s Water Division for more information.
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