This Is Really Quite Incredible -- Global Warming/Extreme Weather/Polar Vortex -- Call It What You Want --It's Been A Humdinger Of A Winter

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April 14, 2014: Winnipeg water pipes could stay frozen through July. 
 

Original Post

For folks who don't live up north: to prevent water lines from freezing, there are two common methods: bury the water pipelines as deeply as economically possible -- hopefully below where the ground freezes; and, if it's really, really cold, keep the taps flowing at least slightly -- flowing water tends not to freeze.

Of course, if one keeps the tap open, one pays for that water, whether it was used or not used. And the water company will charge you for that water -- or perhaps come up with a credit if it seems appropriate.

That's the background to this story coming out of Park Rapids, Minnesota. Look at how much extra water it took to keep the taps open to help prevent freezing: almost double --

Water pumping for March 2014 was 18,597,620 gallons compared to 10,787,264 gallons in 2013.

Even with that, water pipes froze across the northern tier.

Now, these pipes:

Water Music, George Frideric Handel