The enduring extreme sub-zero temperatures throughout February and into March set the stage for numerous woes for several Sundre residents and businesses left without running water as a result of frozen pipes.
“It’s kind of an interesting physics,” said Jim Hall, Sundre’s operations manager.
When temperatures are very cold, dropping to -30 C and lower, nothing freezes, and when the weather is really warm, naturally nothing freezes, he said.
But that transition period between extreme cold and warming temperatures creates problems as the frost goes deeper into the earth, even managing to reach service lines that are buried anywhere from about 2.5 to three metres (eight to 10 feet) underground, he said.
“That’s when we see these issues come up.”
While in an average year the municipality typically contends with no more than two or three problems with frozen waterlines — often mobile homes with inadequately insulated lines — there have been about eight problems reported so far this year, he said on Tuesday, March 12.
“We’re trying to encourage people to use water,” he said, adding one of the main issues is the result of water not being drawn during the day when people are away.
Don’t be shy about flushing and let the kids run baths, which will substantially help reduce the chance of water lines freezing up, he said.
“People want to conserve water. But keep flushing, using your shower, do your dishes,” he said.
“If you have to go away for the day, leave a pencil-width stream of water running from a bathroom tap.”
While that will translate to a higher consumption bill, the approach will also potentially prevent costlier headaches in the long run, he said.
Absences become increasingly problematic the longer people are away from their home. During extreme conditions, anyone who plans to leave town for more than a day or two is encouraged to ask a friend or family member to drop by at least once a day to run some water and flush a toilet, he said.
Even owners who are selling a home and have already moved out are responsible to ensure the water continues to flow, said Hall, adding he has seen instances when people who bought a house moved in only to have the water freeze up days later.
But compared with cities such as Calgary and Medicine Hat — the former experiencing the worst issues in decades and the latter reporting unprecedented problems with frozen waterlines — Hall said Sundre has largely been relatively lucky, for now.
“Our issues have been minimal compared to larger municipalities.”
But local problems have nevetheless kept the Town of Sundre’s crew busy, he said, adding some employees have been putting in 10- to 12-hour days.
While the municipality manages the water mains -- none of which had yet experienced serious issues and continue to flow -- the town crew largely assists plumbers when there are problems with service lines, he said.
“Plumbers generally have the equipment to thaw it out.”
But if an attempt to use a steamer to clear the service line fails, there is a temporary backup plan. At that point, the town crew can restore water at no charge to residents by connecting the affected residence to a willing neighbour’s house using a hose and a meter to track usage and adjust the bill accordingly, he said.
All around, these kinds of conditions play havoc on the town’s systems, and the operations manager was hoping the spring thaw comes sooner rather than later.
Hall also said he anticipates more problems as the weather continues to warm.
“I’m bracing for the worst,” he said.
Local plumbers have their hands full, and he urges anyone whose waterline freezes to contact one to get in the queue.
“Usually the plumbers will call us if the problem’s bad enough that an auxiliary system is needed,” he said, referring to hooking up a hose to a neighbouring property.
While the problems to date have largely involved water service lines, the municipality has experienced a few issues with sewer mains, including one that required an emergency dig after frost cracked the pipe, he said.
“But they typically end up being a clog,” he said about problems with the sewage lines.
Over the years, some people will flush down items such as disposable wipes that should never go into a wastewater system, he said.
“They create havoc.”
The wipes, contrary to popular belief, are not biodegradable and end up contributing — along with other substances such as fat, oil and grease — to potentially problematic blockages. Additionally, while fewer people use powder soap for laundry, that product can be a disaster. Hair traps are also recommended for the shower, he said.
Although many people get by on tight budgets, he said anyone who can afford to do so should also consider having a plumber come by once every other year to inspect and possibly even use a snake to clear out the sewage service line. The short-term cost could be a big savings compared to paying for the cleanup and repairs following a more catastrophic failure or sewage backup flooded basement, he said.
But as for the water service lines, the operations manager said freezing happens largely as a result of water usage — or rather lack thereof — combined with the extreme cold and subsequent thaw.
“We have no way of controlling how much water you’re using,” he said.
“We are not responsible for the service connection unless it breaks because of shifting.”
People who attempt to conserve water do not need to worry about the resource being squandered, he said.
“You’re not wasting it,” said Hall, adding that once treated by the municipality’s sewage lagoon, the water ends up right back in the Red Deer River.
He said the cost of a higher water bill stemming from more frequent usage is more than likely to be eclipsed by having to hire a plumber to repair problems that could have been prevented in the first place.
