

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.
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.
Yolanda Winkler 410-545-6541 | James E. Bentley II 410-545-6541 | Jennifer Combs 410-545-6541 |
After hours, weekends, or holidays please call 410-396-3100 for the duty officer |
The Baltimore City Department of Public Works supports the health, environment, and economy of our City and region by cleaning our neighborhoods and waterways and providing its customers with safe drinking water and sustainable energy practices.