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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJackson, MI Crews Wait On Equipment To Thaw Nearly 100 Frozen Pipes, Leaving Residents Without Water
JACKSON, MI With hundreds of Jackson residents without water due to frozen pipes, city officials are saying it may be a while before they can thaw them out.
City crews are no longer thawing pipelines as they wait for necessary equipment to be shipped, and in the meantime are looking for ways to help residents as best they can, Jackson City Manager Patrick Burtch said.
"We understand people's plight," Burtch said, "but we don't have the manpower or the equipment to thaw people's waterlines right now. We'd go at a slow clip even if we had the equipment."
Burtch said one contractor was out at a home for six hours Monday and was unable to thaw the resident's waterlines. Once the equipment is in the hands of city crews, they'll begin thawing lines again.
When that will begin, though, is undetermined. Burtch said the equipment was set to be delivered by now but was bumped off the freight to make room for road salt to be delivered to state municipalities.
more...
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2014/02/jackson_crews_wait_on_equipmen.html#incart_river_default
Never has this happen to this extent. How in the hell do you unthaw frozen pipes that are buried 4 foot underground?
MineralMan
(146,341 posts)That's in St. Paul, MN. I've not heard of frozen water supply pipes here.
DURHAM D
(32,617 posts)Purveyor
(29,876 posts)that.
I don't have an exact count but we have had at least 15 nights with below-zero temps. 2 of those nights we dipped to -19 & -18 and we just aren't accustomed to those constant temps.
I've never seen a winter like it in my 56 years.
MineralMan
(146,341 posts)I know that in some places in Minnesota they have had problems with water supply lines freezing. My neighborhood was built in the mid 1950s, and our water comes in through the basement floor. I'm not sure how deeply the ground has frozen here.
DURHAM D
(32,617 posts)The frost line is way higher than that.
bluedigger
(17,088 posts)Not even a municipal responsibility, at least anywhere I've ever lived.
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)I would think it would be the municipalities responsibility up to the water meter.
I know that is how it works with electric coming into the house.
Fortunately we don't live in the city but still worry a bit about the line that runs from our submerged deep well pump to the house. IIRC that line is buried at 5 foot.
bluedigger
(17,088 posts)Nothing in the article says that.
"Jackson Mayor Jason Smith said the city has provided the courtesy of thawing people's pipes for years, but has never had so many people in the city need the service." People's pipes - not The People's (city's) pipes.
I think the reference to the freeze depth was just poorly explained to/by the reporter as an example of the severity of the conditions.
Blue Diadem
(6,597 posts)Both son & his neighbor's was frozen between the main & curb stop. The town uses an electrical current to thaw it. I didn't know how to explain it but I did find an article that does:
http://www.dailypress.net/page/content.detail/id/546193/Frozen-water-lines-on-rise.html?nav=5003
snip:
Crews thaw pipes by putting an electric current on the shut-off valve at the curbside, explained Lampi. The electric current heats up the adjoining pipe and thaws the frozen water. This process does not work on plastic pipes which a property owner may have chosen to install underground, he noted.
I noticed in a link from your news article they use steam heat.
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2014/02/nearly_100_jackson_properties.html
Jackson Department of Public Works officials use a machine which pumps steam into a frozen pipe until it thaws. Smith said the city is now hesitant to spend the time and manpower to thaw a pipe if it will simply freeze again.