The Carroll County Water Authority is experiencing extraordinarily high water demands due to the bitterly cold temperatures. CCWA is producing water at its full capacity as well as purchasing from a neighboring water utility as it attempts to meet the record setting peak demand. A number of surrounding water providers are facing similar situations.
CCWA asks its customers to conserve water as much as possible during this time and proactively check for water leaks within their homes and buildings.
At this time, the largest water demand contributors are from running faucets as a freeze prevention tactic and leaks due to frozen homeowner pipes. CCWA reminds homeowners that run faucets to prevent freezing to only have a faucet dripping and not flowing with a steady stream or ribbon of water. Also, faucet dripping should not be required while water is being used nearby in the house.
CCWA recommends that homeowners know where cutoff valves are on their private plumbing system. This is especially important for customers with frozen water pipes. Frozen pipes will most likely be broken or leaking when thawing occurs. These breaks or leaks can lead to property damage and higher water bills. CCWA recommends that homeowners in these situations proactively isolate the frozen pipes, where possible, or be prepared to close the nearest cutoff valve as soon as a problem is realized.
Lastly, CCWA recommends that homeowners check outbuildings for possible water leaks as leaks in these locations often can go unrecognized for a considerable time.
