Frozen-Pipe

You’ll be out almost $700 if your water pipes freeze over again this winter.

City council passed a resolution, Monday outlining the new charge with the only opposition coming from Councillor, Walter Wawrzaszek. Council also wanted to know if the Punlic Works has dotted the ‘I’s” and crossed the ‘T’s”.  Ward 5 councillor, Andrew Marks was assured local partners are well aware if they’re part of any emergency teams like the Red Cross or the Archie Dillor Sportsplex providing showers.

Public works is also sending over 700 letters to anyone affected in the past by frozen pipes and is making sure tenants, landlords, and residents actually receive it by having them sign for it..

Council’s new resolution also gives you an opportunity to plead your case if your pipes freeze again.  You can try and prove it was out of your control but council agreed that would be hard to do.  Councillor, Rick Dubeau said you’d have to install some type of surveillance system for a tap and that sounds ridiculous.

Director of Public Works Luc Duval says there are certain times you won’t be charged to thaw your pipes.

“If you’ve never had a frozen water issue, you don’t have to run your water because if everyone did this as a ‘what if’ scenario, it could severely damage the filtration plant.  If this is the the first you’ve ever had a frozen water issue, the city will be there to thaw them at no charge”

Councillor Dubeau also pointed out another way to prove your taps have been running but your pipes froze anyway is if you’re on a meter system.  Commercial buildings in Timmins and some residences are on a meter already but Duval says it would cost the city around $9 million to provide and install meters to the entire city.

Duval also noted good news for frozen pipe sufferers, you can request temporary service right when you report frozen pipes.  He says it could take at least two days for crews to get to your home before pipes are thawed and requesting the service can help.  He says they have new plans in place to get service running faster than last year.