Bursting Water Pipes Keep Woodstock Crews Busy

The bitterly cold temperatures that swept into Woodstock earlier this week has kept the city's Public Works Department covered in calls from residents and business owners who are battling a side effect of the Polar Vortex's arrival: bursting water pipes.

Pat Flood, the city's public works director, said the city has responded to at least 70 calls since Tuesday. 

Out of the 70 calls, 68 have been on the city customer's side of the water line, meaning they were responsible for the repairs. Only two have been the city's burden, Flood added.

Flood said this week's cold snap contributed to the bursting pipes, which have caused flooding in homes and businesses. 

"Pretty much all we can do is turn off the water," he said when asked what public works crews are doing when they respond to a call. 

Also, Flood noted the Woodstock Fire Department is also responding and, in some cases, has offered to help help clear out furniture in affected areas.

Dwight Turner with the Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority said the agency has had 119 calls from customers who've complained about freezing and/or bursting pipes.

Only a "handful" of those calls have been on CCWSA's side of the meter.

"Hopefully, it's all over now," he added of the calls in relation to the extreme freezing temperatures.

Public works crews and first responders are also giving out advice to those who experience such an inconvenience: to insulate their pipes, to leave faucets dripping when temperatures are expected to plummet and to inspect their systems for potential problems. 

The sub freezing and single-digit temperatures have left Cherokee County, and the weather in Woodstock has returned to a situation more familiar to its inhabitants.  

According to the National Weather Service, this weekend will bring chance of rain on Saturday in Woodstock. High temperatures will top out at 58 degrees and a low will sit around around 39 degrees.

Sunday will bring the return of sunny skies, and highs in the low 50s. Expect the low on Sunday to hover in the mid to upper 30s. 

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