Winter brings water line bursts, here’s what you can do
Jan 3, 2022, 11:57 AM
Water line repairs being done in Centerville. Road repairs could take weeks, possibly months. Photo: Centerville Police Department
CENTERVILLE, Utah — A photo of a road in Centerville looks like it was taken after an earthquake. In reality, the road damage is a result of a water line break.
Centerville Police published a photo of damage done by a water line break. A water leak from pipes under Chase Lane cracked the road above.
Chase Lane is closed near Oakridge Dr. due to a water leak which has damaged the road pic.twitter.com/msFJAc6CBw
— Centerville Police (@cpdutah) January 3, 2022
The water line leak left fifteen homes without water supply. Centerville Police informed travelers that 400 East to Oakridge is closed for an undetermined amount of time.
Some Centerville commuters will need to find an alternate route this morning: https://t.co/I7bhCOBlf5
— Heather Kelly (@KSLHeatherKelly) January 3, 2022
Officials estimated that the affected homes would have running water again by Monday evening, if not earlier. However, they did not have a concrete estimate for when the road would be reopened. They stated the road repairs could take weeks, or possibly months.
Water line break clean up Centerville Police car Photo: Centerville Police Department
Water line breaks more common in cold weather
Winter brings freezing temperatures that can damage pipes.
The Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities published a notice on Monday following a busy weekend of water line breaks. The department offered some measures for preventing indoor pipe breaks and bursts.
SLCPU suggested opening cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes. They also suggest running a thin strand of water from faucets that are fed water by exposed pipes.
Busy weekend for private property water line breaks! You can avoid burst indoor pipes in freezing weather. Open cabinet doors to let warm air circulate around pipes. Let a thin strand (spaghetti size) of cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. @LBriefer @SLCgov pic.twitter.com/wr0B4jpf7c
— SLC Department of Public Utilities (@SLCPU) January 3, 2022
Ogden City also published a guide for best “winter practices” to protect pipes in the cold weather, and extra measures for those vacationing.
