CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Cindy Koehler deals with frozen pipes on day three, which means there is no running water for everyday needs.
“I was unable to shower, flush my toilet or do laundry,” said Koehler.
Koehler doesn’t drive either, so she ordered jugs of water online to get through for the time being. The five who sat on her countertop could barely hold out on Monday.
“I bottled water that I used. I can use this for drinking. I used some bottled water and washed my hair, ”she said.
Koehler says she contacted the city to see if it was a water problem. A city spokeswoman said she had no evidence of any problems with the city’s water service in her neighborhood. Now she’s waiting for a plumber to come out this week.
Over at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing’s, they had 30 calls on Monday due to frozen lines.
“We’re seeing a lot more frozen lines this year,” said owner Thomas Hutson.
All eight crews work overtime to reach everyone.
“We take so many calls and then say if someone goes down we put them on the line,” said Hutson. “So we try to reach as many people as possible.”
Hutson says he mostly noticed frozen pipes in mobile homes, but expects they will hit others too. He advises people dealing with this issue to turn up the heat in their home to defrost pipes, which Koehler did.
“Open all the cabinet doors and try to find out where the area is that it’s frozen in,” he said.
Hutson says that dripping water can also help prevent pipes from freezing in non-mobile dorms, but cautions against doing so in mobile homes and everyone should know where your water mains shutdown is.
“If your pipe bursts, water flows everywhere, which can cause a lot of damage in a short time. I want everyone to find out where the water is. When that happens, they know how to turn off the water, “he added.
Hutson urges people to be patient as they make their rounds on jobs that can take up to several hours to complete. She only hopes for some speedy relief for Koehler.
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