Frozen Bursted Water Pipes A Problem In Some Vacant Homes; Melting Ice Inside Home Expected To Create Mold Problems, Says City Inspector

In Omaha, Nebraska, WOWT-TV Channel 6 reports:

• Home foreclosures that turn into neighborhood eyesores when unpaid utilities lead to broken water pipes are happening more often. Channel 6 News first reported about one such house in Bellevue. The problem has spread to Omaha. [...] "We'll send notice to the bank and give them a short time for them to correct this,” says Omaha Chief Inspector Kevin Denker, who has photos from another abandoned house in northeast Omaha with the heat turned off, but not the water. “When it warms up and this ice melts it's going to lead to more water damage on the inside, mold, mildew and then other issues."

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• There’s ice formed around the shut-off electrical box [in one vacant home]. MUD says the homeowner had the water turned off in January, but someone turned it back on, until neighbors complained of a flood pouring out of the windows. [...] The mortgage company will be notified to start cleanup soon because health problems aren't frozen in time. Mold will grow fast after the spring thaw.

For more, see More Pipes Bursting In Empty Houses (Unless reported by neighbors, mess goes unchecked).

Go here for more on freezing pipes in vacant homes. frozenpipetheta