Neighbor-to-neighbor connections are keeping the water flowing for several Gillett residents. When water mains buried under city streets began to freeze due to an extended cold snap, Gillett Utility began linking homes with insulated hoses, burying the hoses under the snow and feeding water from one home to another.
The first residents without water were John and Darlene Olson on Ridgewood Drive, who returned from church Jan. 26 to find the faucets dry. By the end of the day, Utility Supervisor Ron Anderson had the water running again, only to return each of the next two days before finding a lasting solution.
In the meantime, Anderson brought the couple 20 gallons of water, and Darlene melted snow in order to flush the toilets.
“We were ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ ” she joked.
The Olsons now receive their water through a 200-foot hose hooked from their outside spigot to the outside spigot of the home next door. To prevent future freeze-ups, both homes keep a faucet running at all times with a narrow stream of water.
According to Anderson, water mains are at an average depth of 6 feet, and that’s how deep the frost has settled this winter.
“In the last two weeks, we’ve been averaging a freeze-up a day,” he said.
Homeowners have been advised to keep a steady stream of water running. He tells residents if the water coming from the faucet freezes their fingers, they should keep a faucet running, then contact City Hall so their water bill can be adjusted and the city can keep track of problem areas.
As of Thursday, about a dozen homes had water fed from a neighbor’s home.
Keeping the water tower from freezing is a constant struggle, Anderson said, and although more moderate temperatures will be the antidote, they will also cause more trouble.
“Once the warm weather breaks, we’re going to be popping mains left and right, so this is just the beginning,” he said.
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