BETHLEHEM, Pa. — As the region continues to endure a stretch of bitter cold, Lehigh County Authority is reminding homeowners that snow and frigid temperatures are bringing on more dangers than slick roadways.
One story “occurring in households throughout the Lehigh Valley” this week involves frozen pipes and water meters leading to service disruptions, property damage and extra expenses, LCA said in a release.
“Although Lehigh County Authority owns the water meter, customers are responsible for protecting the meter from freezing and other damage."Lehigh County Authority release
“We’ve had about 13 customer calls for no water since Monday, with six of them coming in this morning,” LCA Communications Manager Susan Sampson said Thursday.
Sampson said those calls have included customers with frozen pipes or frozen and damaged water meters.
That’s something many customers don’t realize is their responsibility, according to the LCA.
“Although Lehigh County Authority owns the water meter, customers are responsible for protecting the meter from freezing and other damage,” the release said.
If the meter freezes and cracks, property owners will be on the hook for a replacement cost of $400, depending on the meter size, plus a $50 site visit fee for LCA to remove the old meter and install a new one.
A site visit fee after hours, on weekends or holidays, rises to $150, which covers costs for staff overtime and emergency work.
How cold has it been?
The Lehigh Valley has been colder than parts of Siberia this week, with the average monthly temperature in the Allentown area at 25.1 degrees — more than five degrees below normal for January.
The average temperature over the past week has been 18 degrees, and over the past three days it dropped to just 9 degrees.
The forecast Tuesday night into Wednesday called for dangerous cold that also exceeded expectations and nearly went from extreme to historic.
The temperature at Lehigh Valley International Airport fell to eight below zero, with a peak wind chill of -19.
It was our coldest morning in the area since Feb. 24, 2015.
Lowest temperature we've seen from this morning is -22°F in Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Here's the observed low temps from this morning and how long its been since we've been this cold at some of our airport stations. pic.twitter.com/dWgJ7Buhbn
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 22, 2025
Protect your pipes and water meter
The LCA offered numerous tips to protect your pipes and water meter through the winter, including:
- Using insulation products made to fit water meters and pipes
- Buying a water meter "jacket" made to fit the make and model of your meter
- Making your own meter and pipe insulation with old blankets, pool noodles, rags, newspaper and tape
- Sealing off any drafts or gaps where cold air comes in and repairing broken windows
- Opening cabinets and doors to allow warmer air into the place where your water meter is located or places pipes run through
Anyone with a frozen water meter should turn the water off at the main valve, the LCA said, which could prevent water damage after the meter thaws.
Frozen meters can be thawed by using a hair dryer or a monitored portable heater.
“Our customer care team coaches the customer to check the pipes and water meter, and if frozen, how to safely and slowly thaw things out," Sampson said.
"Our technicians are not able to work on replacing the meter while it is frozen."
She said the LCA was pleased the number of frozen meters and pipes was relatively low given the frigid temperatures.
Daytime highs are finally expected back above freezing by Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
