CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Sub-freezing temperatures caused widespread water main breaks across the Mountain State this week, according to the West Virginia American Water Company.
Laura Jordan, a spokesperson with the WVAWC, said the utility received an increase in calls about water main breaks and outages. Crews and contractors were working around the clock to address the number of repairs. Jordan said the low temperatures have not helped, anticipating that things may get worse before they get better.
“Crews are working in icy conditions, snowy conditions,” she said. “These cold temperatures cause pumps to freeze and not work. It causes us to have to find valves and dig them out from the snow, so it can certainly extend the length of repair times.”
Jordan said they received calls for problems such as plumping, service lines, and meters that froze. She said they are there to assist customers with identifying where the problem is and if they have to send crews out to fix it. With the temperatures increasing slightly and the ground beginning to shift again, she said that can cause more issues at times.
West Virginia American Water said they appreciate the patience of customers while crews work in difficult conditions to keep the water flowing.