If you suspect your water service lines are frozen, please call Colorado Springs Utilities at 719-448-4800 and report the problem. We will send a Utility Service Specialist to your home to determine the problem. We can help you learn how to prevent your water service lines from freezing. What should I do if I don’t have water service and suspect a frozen water service line problem?
If you suspect your water service lines are frozen, please call Colorado Springs Utilities at 719-448-4800 and report the problem. We will send out a Utility Service Specialist to determine the problem. Springs Utilities can help you learn how to prevent your water service lines from freezing. Who is responsible for water service lines? According to the City Code, it is the responsibility of the home/property owner to maintain (including defrosting) and/or replace service lines on the property to the curb stop valve (usually at property line). If the curb stop valve is located on the customer's property, it is also the responsibility of the property owner. The service line that extends from the customer's property to the utilities' water main (usually in the public right of way) is the utilities' responsibility for maintenance and/or replacement. Why do water service lines freeze? Colorado Springs Utilities recognizes that with the fluctuation between warm and cold temperatures in the community, frost tends to be pushed deeper in the ground which can cause problems by freezing the water service lines. Additionally, some of the water service lines in certain areas of Colorado Springs are shallow by today's standards. Current requirements specify that water mains and service lines be a minimum of 5 feet below the ground's surface to minimize freezing. The most common cause of frozen water service lines includes prolonged cold weather combined with water service lines not buried deep enough or at all. How can I prevent frozen water service lines?
Colorado Springs Utilities has already lowered many of these service lines from the water main to the property line to eliminate freezing on Springs Utilities’ portion of the service line. Homeowners can prevent the freezing of water service lines by burying them deep enough (as per code- typically 5-6 feet below ground level). Short term prevention measures to avoid and/or keep water service lines from freezing during extreme cold weather periods (especially during nighttime hours) include; opening kitchen and/or bathroom sink cupboard doors (to expose pipes to indoor warm air) and running water taps (pencil point stream size). What solutions exist to help solve this problem permanently? Springs Utilities can help you find a long term solution. We are concerned about the impact of these freezing water service lines on our customers. If you have had a problem with freezing water service lines, we would urge you to consider lowering your service line to sufficient depth to prevent this problem in the future. We encourage you to make arrangements to address the freezing problem as soon as possible. We offer the following resources to assist you: - You can receive free referrals to local contractor(s) that can provide estimates and perform the service line lowering work. Contact our Customer Call Center at 448-4800 and ask for a free HomeVantage Service Referral for exterior water lines.
- If you are concerned about the cost and financing options, we have partnered with Ent Federal Credit Union to offer low interest rate financing for energy and water efficient projects. Contact Ent at 574-1100 and select option 8 to find out about great HomeVantage Home Improvement Financing rates today.
What can I do if my water service line is frozen?
If your water service line is frozen either inside your home or outside your home, we encourage you to make arrangements to address the freezing problem as soon as possible. We offer the following resources to assist you: - You can receive free referrals to local contractor(s) that can provide estimates and perform water service line thawing services. Call our Customer Call Center at 448-4800 and ask for a free HomeVantage Service Referral for thawing interior and/or exterior frozen water lines.
How much will it cost me? Each thawing job is different and the costs can escalate quickly depending on the contractor time, materials, permit fees and services required to perform this work. We strongly urge you to obtain a written estimate from a contractor because costs can escalate quickly. We do not pay for these costs; the costs are the customer’s responsibility. Thawing the water service line is only a temporary solution and we advise customers to permanently solve this solution by burying the water line to appropriate depths. In some cases, burying the line might be cheaper than thawing the line. | 
