News

Seven feet of frost causes sewer issues

By Scott Wagar

03/11/2014

With sub-zero temperatures for the majority of the winter in Bottineau the frost in the ground has reached down far enough to freeze up some of the water and sewer lines in the community, which have affected local residents and establishments for the past three weeks.

“The frost is getting deep,” said Keith Fulsebakke, superintendent of the city of Bottineau. “It is at least seven feet deep. I just hope we don’t start having trouble, too, because we have lines that are shallow.”

Fulsebakke added that the state minimum to place lines is seven and a half feet into the ground, but that there are some older pipes that are not that deep.

If homeowners or local businesses have frozen lines, they need to call an individual in the heating and plumbing field to care for their problems because it is not the city’s responsibility.

“They have a machine that is similar to what the city uses for their lines that thaws the pipes out,” Fulsebakke said.

For the city, its primary responsibility is the city’s mains during cold winters like the one that is taking place this year.

“The main usually will not freeze, but when it warms up and cools off sometimes it will crack them,” Fulsebakke said. “We have pretty good luck because the city has been good in replacing most of them.”