Reports of frozen pipes soar in Winnipeg

The number of Winnipeggers dealing with frozen pipes has spiked in the past week.

There are now 402 reports to the city of people with no water due to frozen internal plumbing, compared to 115 reports as of Dec. 27.

That refers to any pipes, including fittings, valves and fixtures, that carry water through a building to the taps.

As well, there are 71 reports of frozen underground water pipes. Of those, 67 were frozen in the private property owner's portion of pipe. Four others were frozen in the city pipe.

"We did get a very large increase in calls, especially starting in around Christmas Eve, Christmas Day — and New Year's Eve was a very busy day for us in terms of call volumes, so that was kind of out of the ordinary," said Tim Shanks, the city's manager of water services. 

But Shanks said the calls were related to the frigid air temperatures rather than underground frost.

"Calls have started to drop off. I know it's not exactly really warm out right now but it's a little bit better now than it was a few days ago, and so the calls are definitely dropping off — whereas if it was a frost-driven event, you would see the calls continue to rise as the frost goes deeper into the ground."

The city will help owners pinpoint the location of a freeze-up but if it's in the property owner's portion of the pipe, the owner is responsible for the costs of thawing.

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 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 uninsulated pipes under sinks and appliances near outside walls.

The city said it will advise property owners directly if it becomes necessary to leave a tap running to prevent a frozen water pipe.

Residents who choose to run water as a preventative measure without being directed to do so by the city will be billed for the full amount of the water and sewer charges.

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

For assistance thawing frozen internal plumbing, property owners should contact a plumber or follow these do-it-yourself tips, the city advises.