NEW ULM – Cold weather brings a chance of water pipes freezing and breaking. This risk increases with long stretches of extremely cold weather. New Ulm Public Utilities provided the following tips for reducing the risk of frozen pipes:

· Most water service lines enter the home in the basement, make sure that the basement temperature is at least 55 degrees.

· Expose water pipes to warmer air by leaving cupboard doors open under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow heat to enter that space.

· Check for air leaks in your home that could freeze the water pipes.

· Monitor the temperature of your home’s water by running the water in a sink closest to your water meter until the water is at its coldest temperature. The water temperature should be around 45 degrees in the winter. If the temperature drops below 40 degrees, the service line may be starting to freeze up.

· Prevent a service line from freezing by letting the water run from a faucet at 1 quart per minute. This would be a pencil size flow of water from your faucet. This results in a flow of about 10,800 gallons in one month and would cost about $42 for the month above the usual water/sewer usage. The cost to have a contractor thaw a frozen water service is estimated at a minimum of $400.

The risk of frozen water service lines will continue until the extreme cold passes and the temperature returns to normal levels.