Water Department

Cold Weather Information

When sweater weather approaches, the danger of water lines and water meters freezing begins to loom. City water customers are encouraged to adequately prepare their water lines and meters to prevent them from freezing, bursting and causing flooding. The best way to do this is to check basements and crawl spaces where water lines are located. If they are found in areas that are unheated or affected by consistent cold drafts, work to eliminate the drafts and/or make sure those areas get heated. These low-cost, easy fixes will prevent the much higher cost of frozen or burst water pipes. If a meter is damaged by freezing, the owner will be responsible for replacement costs. Do not leave your water running (unless instructed to do so by the Water Department).

Underground Water Lines

To freeze an underground water line that runs from the street to a building, a precise set of circumstances must occur:

1. The line must go with little or no use for a prolonged period of time (i.e. gone on vacation)
2. The weather during that prolonged period of time must be extremely cold
3. The ground must freeze to the depth of the water line

Frozen Service Policy

If an underground water line does freeze, the City of Jackson Water Department will provide one thawing service to our customers during regular business hours. If thawing is requested during the same season, a fee will be charged (minimum $90 for after-hours requests). If the after-hours time and materials cost is greater than the minimum $90, the customer will be charged for time and materials. Thawing service is only available for the water line from the street to a dwelling; any frozen plumbing inside that dwelling is the responsibility of the owner.

Running Water Freeze Prevention

For customers who live at addresses with a history of frozen water lines, the Water Department will request that the water be left running to avoid freezing in the pipes. At the time of the request, the Water Department will record a meter reading, and again when the procedure is complete in the spring. This is done to assure there are no extraneous charges levied to the customer’s water bill. If the procedure is not followed, this allowance will not be made.

Thawing Service Calls

• First thawing service call: Free of charge; Service performed during regular working hours (7:30 am to 3:30 pm), Monday through Friday.
• Second/additional thawing service call(s): $75/call during regular working hours; $90 or cost of time and materials, whichever is greater, for after-hours calls.