Chester Water Authority

Chester Water Authority
P.O. Box 467
Chester, PA 19016
(610) 876-8181
(800) 793-2323

Quality. Service.		Value.

Winter 2003 - 2004, Vol. 10 No. 1

Prepare For Winter

The following tips are offered to help prevent your water pipes from freezing during winter weather and inconveniencing you.

Close all foundation vents. This will stop the cold winter wind from blowing into, around, and beneath your house. Not only will this keep your pipes from freezing, but your floors will also be warmer. Failure to close the foundation vents is generally a major cause of frozen or split water lines.

If you have had problems with frozen water with a kitchen sink or bathroom fixtures located on an outside wall that faces north or is exposed to strong winter winds, let a faucet drip during cold weather conditions. The cost of the dripping water during very cold weather is minimal as compared with the cost of repairing a frozen or split pipe. Leave cupboard doors open so pipes within those cupboards are exposed to interior heat. This tip would apply when the outside temperature is predicted to be 25°F or lower.

Insulate exposed water lines such as outside faucets and pipes located under the house or in the attic. Exposed water lines in crawl spaces or garages should be insulated.

Call Before You Dig

Pennsylvania One Call System (POCS) is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to prevent damage to underground facilities by providing a communications network between excavators and facility owners. When home owners make one telephone call, utility companies are notified and are directed to mark the location of their underground facilities at the excavation site.

Pennsylvania state law, Act 287, requires that you contact the POCS at least three (3) working days before you conduct any excavation work. This includes installing deck or fence posts, drainage pipes, and swimming pools. It also includes removing tree stumps, digging trenches, laying foundations, and replacing driveways.

The law and the POCS are designed to prevent injuries that can occur when people who are excavating come in contact with or damage water, natural gas, or sewer lines, conduits containing electric or telephone lines, or other underground equipment. Using the One Call System can prevent these accidents from happening. The service is free if you are a homeowner working on your own property.

If you plan on doing any digging (even something as simple as installing a mailbox post), please call the Pennsylvania One Call System, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, toll-free at 800-242-1776. For more information, you can log on to the POCS Web site at www.pa1call.org.

Other articles in this issue:


		Page 1
		We Have A Plan
		Page 2
		Water Conservation and You Fast Facts
		Page 4
		One Year Later New Directions