The Town of Essex adopted a policy in 2016 to address water service freezing prevention during the winter months. The policy standardizes the process the Town of Essex uses to reimburse residents connected to the municipal water distribution system for running water through service lines to prevent freezing during the winter months.
Helpful Tips
Common locations for freezing:
• Bathroom pipes in exterior walls
• Kitchen sink pipes on exterior walls
• Laundry room plumbing
• Pipes running to outdoor spigots
• Piping located in crawl spaces, basements, or garages
• Higher risks for plumbing in north facing outside walls
Preventing Frozen Pipes:
• Set home thermostats above 55 degrees during cold weather.
• Locate shut off valves for in case of emergencies.
• Insulate pipes in unheated areas, (basements, garage, or crawl spaces).
• Open cupboards and vanities to warm pipes.
• Close inside valves that control outdoor water supplies.
• When freezing weather is coming, turn off water to outside spigots and drain all water from the line.
• If you are planning to be away from home during the cold weather, make necessary arrangements to address the suggestions above.
• If there is a significant concern, reach out to the Public Works office at 878-1344 to discuss options.
When it has been determined by the Town that a property owner needs to run water to prevent service freezing, the resident must fill out and submit an application for running water to prevent freezing. In order for a property owner to be reimbursed for running water, the applicant must also agree to the following:
• That the applicant has read the Water Service Freezing Prevention Policy and agrees to all requirements.
• That Water and Sewer personnel will have access to the property throughout the duration of the water running.
• That the Town of Essex will not be held responsible for any internal plumbing issues that may arise during the water running.
• That the applicant has been alerted to the potential for saturating their onsite waste disposal system if applicable and the Town of Essex will be held harmless for any damage that may arise.