During the winter months, customers need to be particularly mindful in preventing their pipes from freezing.
- If there is snow covering your meter pit, leave it there. Snow cover acts as an insulating barrier and can help prevent the meter inside from freezing.
- Don’t open your pit or tamper with the valve inside. It’s against local code for anyone but Utility personnel to work in the meter pits and vaults. Without the proper tools the valves can be fragile and this damage can be charged back to the customer. Also, being underground chambers, the pits can sometimes collect dangerous gases from other sources.
When freezing (below 32 degrees) is a possibility, there are some things you can do to help prevent disasters. Open vanity and cabinet doors to expose pipes to the inside, warmer temperatures.
- Open your vanity and cabinet doors to expose pipes to the inside, where there are warmer temperatures.
- Let a small (pencil-lead thin) stream of water run. Moving water is much less likely to freeze than water standing in a pipe.
- Make sure all crawl space openings are closed and if possible, insulate the opening.
- Wrap insulation on pipes in unheated areas.
If your pipes do freeze, please call us first at (812) 372-8861. If the problem is in our meter pit, we will repair and get water service back to your home. If the problem is beyond the meter in your plumbing, we will be able to identify it and recommend you contact a plumber.
Making sure that we continue to offer quality, safe, and clean water to you and the other 19,000 customers in our community remains a priority of Columbus City Utilities. Thank you for your cooperation!