PROTECTING YOUR PIPES IN THE WINTER
Be sure to cover or
insulate any outdoor exposed pipes from the freezing temperatures. Some
materials you can use: old blankets, rugs, towels, insulation wrapped with duct
tape.
Reminder: Carefree Water
Company is responsible for water line and service pipe maintenance up to and
including the water meter of each customer’s service. All problems in service
lines, irrigation devices or other fixtures starting from the exit side of the
meter to the point of water use are the responsibility of each customer. Water
Company employees will not be responsible or perform maintenance on water
facilities located after the meter. We will continue to assist you in locating
water leaks in your system, turn on and off your water service so you may
address water leaks or other problems and provide water quality and
conservation information as a free service.
SHUT OFF VALVES
You should have a shut off
valve within 18" of your side of the meter so you can turn off your
service without involving the Water Company. If you need your water turned off
at the meter please call the Water Company to have water turned off instead of
doing so yourself. If you, your plumber, or whoever you hired, turns off our
valve and breaks it you are responsible for paying for the repair.
Reminder: It is illegal to
allow water usage thru your service for the purpose, either intentional or
otherwise, of circumventing the establishment of an account and the normal
monthly billing and water accounting processes. This practice is not allowed by
the Water Company's Service Agreement nor by Arizona R14-2-407. Our policy is
that the account holder is and will be held responsible for all water use that
passes through their meter. It has come to our attention there are Water
Company Customers currently allowing other individuals and/or parties to
connect into their service and/or irrigation systems to use water without
establishing service with the Water Company. If the Water Company encounters a
Customer who is allowing others to use water thru an illegal connection the
account holder will be subject to disconnection of water service an subject to
any established reconnection fees. The account holder will be expected to pay
for the water usage without any considerations, including payment extensions. It
is neither proper nor fair to all of our other Customers.
PRESSURE REDUCING VALVE
Because our water delivery
system has different pressure zones controlled by pressure pumping systems,
pressure regulating valves or gravity flow from elevated water storage
facilities we recommend that a pressure regulator and a check valve be
installed between your water meter and the inlet to your home. This will
protect your in home water services from variations in pressure or water
draining from your water service as a result of a mechanical failure of the
distribution system infrastructure or from repairs to our distributions system
as a result of water leaks or construction damage to our water lines. These
devices need to be maintained and checked for proper function.
Experience has shown that
they begin to fail between 5 and 8 years after installation.