Watch out for Frozen Water Lines & Meters

As the temperatures continue to remain low, the city has received several reports of frozen meters and water lines. Your water meter could freeze if it is located in a basement or crawlspace that is not heated or might be exposed to very cold winds or temperatures. This can be avoided by making sure the area around the water meter is heated or by placing heat tape on the water line near or around the meter. (The photo shows how the bottom plate on the meter cracks to relieve pressure from the ice.)

Your water line between the city main and your home/business is also in danger of freezing if the water line was buried too shallow. Some years, the frost in the ground goes down about 42 inches. Water lines should be installed a minimum of 48 inches, but we know that this is not always the case. Because in LaSalle, the water lines are owned by the property owner all the way from the home/business to the city main, the property owner is responsible for anything that happens to this line, including freezing. However, if your line is frozen, we do encourage you to contact the city at 815-223-4579 to report this. Sometimes we can visit the location and offer some suggestions that might help.

Unfortunately, if all solutions fail to unfreeze the water line, there is nothing left to do but wait for the ground to thaw at that depth. Some have reported waiting weeks for this to happen. Because this is a significant disruption for anyone, we encourage you to take steps to make sure your line does not freeze. The most common practice is to keep a small trickle of water running somewhere in your home. Usually this works to ensure your line will not freeze.

If you know you have a problem with frozen water lines, it is also helpful to report this to the city engineer because if the city has a road project scheduled near where your line runs, there is the possibility of lowering your line during the project.