By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The first major weather event of the season blanketed the area in a layer of snow, then ice, then more snow prompting a state of emergency across the region. Businesses, schools, and even the roads themselves closed in the aftermath as people were advised not to attempt to travel except in emergency situations. Crews turned out in force both to respond to and to attempt to prevent emergencies in our area.
Thankfully, this weather event did not see wide-spread water issues across the City of Grayson. Grayson Utilities Director Gerald Haney credited last year’s iron pipe replacement in the city for this, and pointed out that by last year at this time those areas where the iron pipe – pipe that had been in the ground for over ninety years – was in use had experienced four major breaks.
“We have been pretty lucky this time because it hasn’t been as bad as it could have been,” Haney said of the weather event.
Some weather forecasts had called for eight to twelve inches of snow as well as several inches of ice, but thankfully we didn’t get that much, he said.
“We had four major breaks downtown by this time last year,” Haney said. “And I’m really glad that’s not still in the ground causing us problems.”
The new pipes and new valves, along with upgraded meters, help the utility commission to ensure a steady flow of water to its customers, but customers need to be aware of some precautions on their end, Haney said. The first thing to consider, he said, was the meter itself.
“If you don’t need to access it (the meter) and there is snow on top of the cover, don’t clean it off,” Haney said. “Snow is a good insulator and if the cover isn’t opened its helping to protect it. If you do have to open the cover for whatever reason, then make sure to put something around the meter like insulation or even towels if that’s all you have.”
With a week of frigid temperatures on the way, Haney said it is a good idea to keep an eye out for potential problems that could be magnified by the freezing temperatures.
“And if your crawl space is susceptible to getting cold air drafts, put bales of straw in front of it,” he advised.
There are other things customers can do to prevent or limit water freezing, Haney said.
“Something as simple as opening the cabinet doors under the sinks so that the warm air from the rest of the house will circulate can be a big help to prevent freezing,” Haney said. “Just try to be aware of where the cold air might be coming in.”
Haney also said that if the home or the crawlspace isn’t well insulated, customers might want to consider leaving their water dripping.
“If you have had problems with water freezing in the past, just a pencil lead size drip or any small amount will keep the water moving and reduce the chance of freezing. It is effective,” Haney said. “It might be a little costly, but it isn’t as costly as having to be without water in the middle of the night because the pipes froze.”
The best idea, of course, is to limit the exposure of water pipes to cold air and temperatures. Haney even recommends checking foundation vents to make certain they are closed and don’t allow frigid air to pass under the home and potentially compromise water pipes. After the recent snow and ice if the vents are open, they might be difficult to close, but even covering the vents with straw or anything to block air flow would be helpful.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
