Water pipes at more than 60 homes or businesses froze this year in what has been described as an abnormally long and cold winter.

City Engineer Steven Jahnke said there is little risk of pipes freezing at this time. Out of the homes that had frozen lines, there are two that staff have confirmed are still frozen. There are another two homes city staff has not been able to confirm because they are uninhabited.

“The threat is over at this point,” Jahnke said.

According to city data, there were 24 water main breaks, 35 frozen meters and more than 60 frozen water pipes to homes and businesses from Jan. 1 through April 1. These were all records for Albert Lea.

During an average winter, there are five frozen water pipes and 15 frozen water meters in the city. There are typically an average of 24 water main breaks for the entire year.

Jahnke said the frost reached down five to six feet and is now gone in areas of the road where the sun is reaching. Frost remains in some shaded areas but is receding quickly.

He said though there were problems with frozen water pipes all over town, the areas where there were the most problems were in Park Avenue and Oakwood Circle. He noted these neighborhoods might have soil types that are more susceptible to frost.

Because of the deep frost, the city in February recommended that property owners run water constantly, a faucet stream about as wide as a pencil, even if they didn’t have a history of frozen pipes. It was common to find water running in basement or bathroom sinks.

He said city staff will notify the owners of any property that had a history of frozen lines and inform them that they can now shut off any running water.

Austin had an unprecedented 169 frozen water lines reported to Austin Utilities, which is above the average of five in a typical winter.

“It was the same all over southeast Minnesota and northern Iowa,” said Keven Maxa, Austin Utilities engineering supervisor.

Officials encourage residents to check water temperatures one last time to make sure they are 40 degrees or above.