Union County Water wants to ensure that no customer loses water service due to cold weather.

Unfortunately, the impact of freezing temperatures on your home's pipes overnight can cause you to lose access to the water we provide to your meter. In winter months, our Customer Care team hears from customers who call in the early morning hours to report what they believe to be a problem with our service, but these situations almost always involve frozen pipes in the customer's home. The customer will find that their water service will resume as temperatures rise in the midday - when pipes warm up again and allow water to flow freely. 

To prevent your home's pipes from freezing, follow our tips to protect your pipes in winter weather:

Indoor Water Tips:

• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinets under sinks so warm air can circulate around plumbing. If you have young children in your home, be sure to remove any chemical or cleaning products out of their reach.
• Turn on some faucets throughout your home to slowly drip both hot and cold water. This is particularly important for water fixtures on exterior walls, but it's a safety measure that you can apply throughout your home. Capture the dripping water in pitchers or watering cans for reuse if possible.
• Remember that a loss of power does not necessarily mean a loss of water pressure. Read more about Power Outages & Water Service here. If you do lose power, call your power provider. You may temporarily lose hot water during a storm, but we cannot assist you with power issues. 

Outdoor Water Tips:

• Never let outdoor spigots drip in cold weather. Cold weather will freeze a small drip and freeze the pipe, potentially causing it to burst.
• Install faucet protectors on spigots. At just a few dollars each, these provide peace of mind and they are easy to install with no tools required; they're available at most hardware and home improvement stores.  
• Disconnect outside water hoses from spigots. If left connected during freezing temperatures, water in hoses can freeze and expand causing connecting faucets and pipes to burst.

If you experience a water or wastewater emergency during the storm, please read the information on this page to verify whether you should reach out to Union County Water or if you should contact a plumber. Remember, our public utility crews cannot assist you with issues on private property. That's why we want to ensure that you have the information you need to prepare for winter weather. For more helpful tips, or to watch a helpful video, visit our Winter Weather page. 

Additional Winter Storm Resources for Customers:  

• Power Outages & Water Service: What Customers Need to Know
• Watch for Crews at Work
• Have You Lost Water Service in the Winter Storm?