2-11-14 frozen water pipes

The Fond du lac water operations manager says the Water Utility department is working as quickly as it can to restore water service to Fond du Lac customers who have lost service due to frozen water pipes.   Kathy Scharf says there have been nearly two dozen frozen services since the beginning of the month and the city has an ongoing list of customers without water.  "We have 19 customers without water.  Some of them have been out since late last week,"  Scharf told WFDL news.  "I have an ongoing list so if it gets frozen up we will get there when we can."  Scharf says resources to thaw underground lines are limited and restoring service could take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days.   Scharf says a handful of businesses reported Monday they did not have water service following the weekend.  Scharf is also asking residents for help by letting the city know if their tap water temperature is getting close to the mid 30s range.  "If they (residents) could take the temperature of the water at the tap, let it run for a little bit and take the temperature.  If its in the mid 30s please give us a call,"  Scharf said.  "We would like to know the areas where its getting that low."  Scharf says the department doesn;t have the manpower to go around town and take the water temperatures in different neighborhoods.  "If folks could give us a call that would be helpful."

The city is asking all customers to run water five minutes straight at least three times a day to keep water service lines from freezing.  Scharf says even if it warms above freezing in the days ahead, that could actually drive the frost level deeper into the ground.