Winter weather and freezing temperatures will be approaching soon, and the Janesville Water Utility wishes to remind you to prevent your water service from freezing.

In an attempt to help property owners avoid the inconvenience and expense of frozen water services, the Water Utility suggests following these guidelines:

• Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses. Many hose bibs have separate valves inside the basement that can be shut off during the winter.
• Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas. Pipe wrapping material can be found at hardware or building supply stores.
• Keep your basement heated. Keep basement windows and doors closed and sealed if necessary. Even a small draft can freeze the pipes.
• Keeping some tap water running. (Moving water is more difficult to freeze; however, this will affect your utility bill.)
• If your meter is located in a crawl space, under a sink, in a cabinet, or near an exterior wall, you may have to provide a source of heat to prevent freeze-ups. Even something as simple as leaving a cabinet door open when it is especially cold can keep the pipes and meter from freezing.
• Locate your meter shut-off valves and keep them in working order. They are usually located where the water line enters your home.
• The cost for replacement of a frozen meter is solely the property owner’s responsibility, even on the first occurrence.
• The resident's responsibility for maintenance begins immediately after the shutoff valve by the street up through the entire home.
• Estimated cost to thaw a frozen service line begins at $250, which will be billed to the customer account per PCS rule 185.88.

The Water Utility office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For questions, please call the Water Utility at (608) 755-3115 (messages can be left after business hours).