Pennsylvania American Water Reminds Customers to Act Now to Prevent Frozen Pipes Later

HERSHEY, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#PrepareForWinter–With weather forecasters predicting cold temperatures very soon,
Pennsylvania American Water today advised homeowners to prepare their
homes now to prevent frozen and damaged household pipes.

“We have experienced some mild winters in recent years, but that doesn’t
mean customers should neglect to protect vulnerable areas of their homes
to avoid frozen pipes that can burst and result in costly damage,” said
Pennsylvania American Water Vice President of Operations Jimmy Sheridan.
“Protecting your home against the cold helps save on energy bills
and safeguards your plumbing against the threat of breaks.”

Property owners are responsible for maintenance of the water service
line from the curb to the house, as well as any in-home piping.
Pennsylvania American Water encourages residents to take the following
precautions to reduce the risk of freezing and bursting pipes:

Take action now:

• Familiarize yourself with areas of your home most susceptible to
  freezing, such as basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms and outside
  walls.
• Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by repairing broken
  windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating
  drafts near doors.
• Locate your main water shut-off valve. If a pipe freezes or bursts,
  shut the water off immediately.
• Protect your pipes and water meter. Wrap exposed pipes with insulation
  or use electrical heat tracing wire; newspaper or fabric might also
  work. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit closed tightly
  and let any snow that falls cover it. Snow acts as insulation, so
  don't disturb it.

When temperatures are consistently at or below freezing:

• If you have pipes that are vulnerable to freezing, allow a small
  trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. The
  cost of the extra water is low compared to the cost to repair a broken
  pipe.
• Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help
  keep them from freezing.

If your pipes freeze:

• Shut off the water immediately. Don't attempt to thaw frozen pipes
  unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks
  in pipes or joints.
• Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by
  applying heat directly to a pipe. You can use a hair dryer, space
  heater or hot water. Be sure not to leave space heaters unattended.
• Do not use kerosene heaters or open flames to thaw pipes inside your
  home.
• Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check
  for cracks and leaks.

When you are away:

• Have a friend, relative or neighbor regularly check your property to
  ensure that the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen.
• Also, a freeze alarm can be purchased for less than $100 and will call
  a user-selected phone number if the inside temperature drops below 45
  degrees.

For more helpful tips, visit Pennsylvania American Water’s YouTube
channel (www.YouTube.com/paamwater)
and check out the Thawing Frozen Pipes video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oen0kSvqKks&t=10s.

HELP REPORT LEAKS

Pennsylvania American Water also advises that sub-freezing temperatures
can hasten aging water mains to break and cause unsafe driving
conditions. If you see a leak, or your water service is disrupted,
please contact the company’s customer service center at 1-800-565-7292.

CLEAR SNOW NEAR HYDRANTS

Additionally, the company asks that homeowners help keep fire hydrants
clear from snow. By doing so, the public can help firefighters easily
locate them and access water quickly, preserving valuable time to
potentially save lives and structures. If you have a hydrant on or near
your property, please take a few minutes to clear away the snow. If you
cannot clear the hydrant, please ask a neighbor or someone else who can
do it for you. Remember, quick access to fire hydrants benefits everyone.

Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK),
is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing
high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to
approximately 2.3 million people. With a history dating back to 1886,
American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S.
publicly-traded water and wastewater utility company. The company
employs more than 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated
and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services
to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More
information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

Contacts

Pennsylvania American Water
Terry Maenza
T: 610-670-7789 ext.
1009
M: 610-849-6484
[email protected]
or
Gary
Lobaugh
T: 724-873-3674
M: 724-944-5148
[email protected]