TOP STORY: Decorah dealing with frozen water lines and water mains

Ground frost in the Decorah area now goes five feet deep.  That has led to frozen water lines and water mains around the city--and Water Superintendent Todd Ihde is warning "It's only going to get worse."

City crews have been working to restore water service to 10 residences and to fix two frozen water mains.  That's after they had to repair two water main breaks last week.

The Decorah Water Department is asking residents to continue monitoring the water temperatures in their homes and businesses.  If the water temperature in the water line falls below 40 degrees, you are at risk of having frozen water lines.  You may need to run a thin stream of water from your faucet in that case.  You should also make sure that your basement and crawl spaces are getting enough heat.

Ihde says frozen water lines and water mains typically become more of a problem as the temperatures get slightly warmer.  That pushes the remaining cold air even further into the ground, causing more freeze-ups.

Because of the high number of frozen water lines, city officials are asking you to call a local plumber for repairs.  You may call the Decorah Water Department at (563) 382-5171 of Decorah City Hall at (563) 382-3651 to determine if there is a broken or frozen water main in your area.

Ihde says"