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The recent frigid weather continues to impact infrastructure in Minot, with numerous water service lines to businesses and residents reported frozen in the past few days, according to the City of Minot.
Dan Jonasson, Minot Public Works director, said on Monday that about 16 new calls have recently been received by the city about frozen water lines. In a release issued Monday, Jonasson advised residents to check the flow of water from their faucets and to check the temperature of the water.
"Let your water run for five minutes and then check the water temperature. If it's below 40 degrees, you could be in danger of having the service line coming into your house or business freeze," Jonasson said. "Letting a faucet run slowly can help prevent your service lines from freezing."
Jonasson said the city has been using equipment called a pulse unit to thaw water lines, but the process can take up to a day to alleviate the problem. The pulse unit pumps water into the service line to break up the frozen area.
"The lack of snow cover allowed the frost to go deep into the ground this year in locations where we have not previously experienced freezing problems,' Jonasson said. "Snow provides an insulation factor, but the late snowfall and extremely cold temperatures in January and February have made the frost issues worse."
Residents are urged to call 852-0111 after 4:30 p.m. for water service emergencies. During regular business hours, please call 857-4150.