Clifton Water busy thawing frozen meters

Sub-zero temperatures are leading to more problems than just frozen pipes inside the home. Officials with the Clifton Water District said they've had to replace dozens of water meters in just the last few days.

The water meters are kept inside pits beneath the ground to prevent colder temperatures from getting to the equipment, but Assistant Manager David Reinertsen said the ground is freezing a lot deeper than we normally see.

Clifton Water uses frost lids to prevent the meters from freezing, but the frigid air is actually freezing the lids as well.

Reinertsen said a frozen meter typically results from low water-flow being used in the home.

If you're not sure if you water meter is broken or just frozen, a technician will come to your house to see if it's a quick fix, or if it needs to be replaced.

"If a meter pit is frozen then we take methods to thaw that meter pit slowly so that we don't get line breakage," said Reinertsen.

"Once that meter has been thawed and water is free-flowing, then the customer can make a determination whether or not they have additional frozen pipes within their house," he added.

Officials said if you keep water flowing at your home consistently, the water meter isn't likely to freeze.

You should also allow more heated air into your plumbing spaces to reduce your risk of an internal water line break.

Reinertsen said mobile home parks tend to have the biggest problem with water meters freezing when the temperature dips low.

If you have issues with your water meter freezing, you can call the Clifton Water District at 970-434-7328.