Illinois American Water: Tips for Cold Weather

Woodridge, Ill. (Nov. 23, 2021) – Before frigid temperatures arrive,
Illinois American Water is encouraging homeowners to take steps now to prevent
water damage from frozen and burst pipes. Tips also cover frozen water
meters, which can bring costly plumbing repairs and replacement fees along with
headaches and unexpected expense to homeowners.

“We know cold weather will come soon enough, so now is the time
for customers to take preventative steps to avoid frozen pipes and water
meters. Preparing now can help customers avoid damaged plumbing inside and
outside of their homes,” said Beth Matthews, vice president of operations.

Before temperatures are below freezing customers should:

• Check sprinkler or irrigation systems. Make sure you have turned everything off
and fully drained the systems.

• Identify your home’s freezing points. Check your home for pipes in areas that
may be prone to freezing, such as crawl spaces, unheated rooms, basements,
garages and exterior walls.

• Know the location of the main water shut-off valve. If a pipe freezes or
bursts, shut off water immediately.

• Protect your pipes and water meters. Customers are encouraged to wrap exposed
pipes with insulation or use electrical heat tracing wire; newspaper or fabric
might also work. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit closed
tightly.

When temperatures stay below freezing customers should:

• Prevent pipes from freezing. Allow a small trickle of water to run overnight
to keep pipes from freezing. Consider collecting the water for later use such
as watering indoor plants and more. The cost of a short-term trickle is much
less costly than a repair to a burst pipe.

• Open cabinet doors to expose pipes. Opening cabinet doors exposes pipes to
warmer room temperatures to keep them from freezing.

If pipes freeze customers should:

• Shut off the water immediately. Do not attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless
the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or
joints.

• Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying
heat directly to a pipe. Customers can use a hair dryer, space heater or hot
water. Space heaters should not be left unattended, and customers should avoid
using kerosene heaters or open flames.

• Once pipes have thawed, water should be turned on slowly and pipes should be
checked for cracks and leaks.

When customers are away, they should:

• Have a friend, relative or neighbor regularly check their property to ensure
the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen.

• Consider purchasing a freeze alarm. The alarm will call a user-selected phone
number if the inside temperature drops below 45 degrees.

Customers are also encouraged to ensure their contact
information is up to date to receive important water service information should
their service be impacted. Customers can manage their account online,
report water emergencies and more at www.illinoisamwater.com. They can
also call 800.422.2782 to update contact information.

About Illinois American Water - Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American
Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state,
providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to
approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a customer
service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in
Belleville.

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the
largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and
wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated
professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater
and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water
provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers
to help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit
amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Rosemaria DiBenedetto, External Communications
Consultant, Rosemaria@newsmakersinc.com