• Don’t over-water your lawn. Water every 3-5 days in summer and 10-14 days in winter.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks.
• Run the dishwasher and washing machine when fully loaded.
• If you have a swimming pool, use a cover and you’ll save a loss from evaporation by 90%.
• When handwashing dishes, don’t leave water running; use 2 basins – one for washing and one for rinsing.
• Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator or microwave instead of using running water.
• Limit your shower time to less than 15 minutes.
• Turn the water off while brushing your teeth.

It is that time of year when the temperatures start to dip below freezing and we have a few pointers for you.

Freezing Weather Protection

Before the onset of cold weather, prevent freezing of water supply lines and pipes by:

Thawing Frozen Pipes

If you turn on a faucet during freezing weather and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. The following are tips to thaw a frozen pipe:

Future Freeze Protection

*Please be aware that letting faucets drip will increase your monthly water bill.

Click here for current rates:

Please note that if the 25th falls on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, a customer will have until the following business day to pay their
bill before the past-due fee is automatically added to their account and disconnected for nonpayment.

If your payment has not been received by 5:30 p.m. on the 25th, the Utility will automatically add a $50 past-due fee to your account. If payment
is not received by this date and time, services will be disconnected for non-payment on the 26th.

Clarification on use of the night/drop box: If a delinquent payment is made through the night/dropbox after 5:30 p.m. on the 25th of the month,
the payment must include the payment and the $50 past-due fee in full to prevent disconnection for non-payment on the 26th.

High Water Bill

50 Cross Connection Questions, Answers, & Illustrations

Blountville Utility District makes every effort to ensure that our customers enjoy a continuous supply of safe drinking water. We appreciate the help of our customers to maintain the quality of our water supply.
Cross Connections can cause the water system to become contaminated. A cross connection is a link with the public water supply and a possible source of contamination. An example of a cross connection would be a garden hose submerged in a source of contamination such as a swimming pool, car radiator or other liquid. If a water main break should occur or if a fire pumper used a fire hydrant while the hose was submerged in a source of contamination, the contaminant could be pulled back into the public water supply. This occurrence, known as backflow, can be prevented.

One simple way to stop backflow is by using an air gap. An air gap can be created by arranging your hose so that the end is at least six inches above the top rim of the container it is being used to fill. This air gap will prevent the contaminant from being siphoned into the water supply.

Another method of preventing backflow with a garden hose is using a device known as a vacuum breaker. Vacuum breakers are inexpensive devices that can be screwed onto your outside faucet. These devices will prevent contaminants from being siphoned back into your plumbing and the public water system.

More hazardous cross connections or cross connections created with permanently installed plumbing may require more sophisticated devices known as reduced pressure backflow preventers. These devices are much more complicated and must be tested annually by certified testers.
For more information on preventing cross connections and protecting our water supply, contact Blountville Utility District at (423) 323-2189.
REMEMBER: Never submerge your garden hose in anything you would not want to drink