BALTIMORE – The year 2016 greeted us with a historic snowfall in January, but Baltimore City Department of Public Works Director Rudy S. Chow, P.E., reminds residents that “We still have several weeks of winter to go.”

Last year, the temperatures plunged into the single digits twice on the week of President's Day and below freezing temperatures were consistent until early-mid March. Currently, forecasts are calling for low temperatures in the single digits by this weekend and the Baltimore area may not break out of the sub-freezing range for a while.

Residents are reminded to take the following steps to protect their pipes. When the mercury remains below 25 degrees:

• Run a thin stream of water from a faucet overnight. Moving water is less likely to freeze than still water
• Make sure interior plumbing that may be exposed to cold air is insulated
• Make sure outdoor spigots are turned off from the inside and drained from the outside
• A frozen or broken pipe can cause damage and be expensive to repair
• A frozen service line, leading from the water meter to the property, may require an invasive procedure to be dug up and replaced -- at the owner's expense.

Did you know?

The meters installed throughout Baltimore and more than one-third of Baltimore County as part of the BaltiMeter upgrade are intentionally designed to break if the water inside them freezes? That’s right! It is far easier and less costly to replace a meter than to dig up and replace a broken pipe.

Speaking of pipes, our crews and on-call contractors, will work day and night as necessary to repair damaged pipes and meters. But it is far easier and more convenient to prevent breaks than repair them. Homeowners are encouraged to explore the extra step to protect their pipes, and their pocketbooks, with a water and sewer line protection plan. For additional information, call HomeServe at 1-855-807-6631 or visiting www.homeservusa.com.

For water service emergencies call 311 or 410-396-5352.