By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

With the onset of extremely frigid weather to the area, Illinois American Water is giving people tips to avoid that potentially destructive and damaging winter misfortune.

Things to do to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting is to allow a small trickle of water overnight, open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer temperatures, eliminate sources of cold air near pipes, and protect your pipes and meter by wrapping them with insulation or electrical heat tracing wire. If pipes do freeze, know where your water main shut-off valve is located, so you can shut it off immediately, then apply heat to the frozen pipe and once thawed, turn water back on slowly to check for cracks or leaks.

More tips can be found at illinoisamwater.com.