Have you had frozen water lines in the past? If so, then the Baltimore City Department of Public Works asks you to pay special attention to the following list of ways to prevent this from happening again. 

At the current time the Baltimore City water system has received over 900 reports of water outages.  Many of these are related to water main breaks; however, most are frozen individual water service lines and meters.  As temperatures moderate this week, many of these frozen lines will return to normal. But before another blast of cold air rolls in, it is extra important that customers who experienced frozen meters or service lines take preventive steps so you will not be disrupted again.

Let a thin stream of cold water run from a basement faucet. The stream should be a continuous flow. This water can be caught in a bucket and used later.

• If your interior pipe is frozen, warm it with hot air from a blow dryer where it enters your house. You may also consider using heat tape, available at hardware stores, to keep exposed pipes from freezing.
• Be sure you know the location of the water shutoff valve in your home. Check it periodically to ensure it works properly.
• Be sure to disconnect and drain hoses, and shut off water to outside faucets.
• Monitor your sump pump. A frozen drain pipe could result in a flooded basement.
• Insulate pipes in unheated parts of your house. Be alert if you have had frozen pipes in the past.
• Always keep on hand a three day supply of bottled water; one gallon per person per day.
• Consider getting a service protection policy for your exterior water/sewer lines. Baltimore City has partnered with HomeServe USA to provide this low cost protection. Please visit BaltimoreServiceRepairs.com.

Further details are available at http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/winter-storm/frozen-pipes. Also please be aware that as frozen pipes thaw out, new problems could emerge if the pipes have been damaged by the ice expanding inside of them.

As a reminder, DPW maintains outdoor water lines up to and including the meter. Water lines running from the meter to the house, and internal plumbing, are the responsibility of the property owner. For water emergencies in Baltimore City, please call 311, or call 410-396-5352 in our Baltimore County service area.