CHARLOTTE – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities officials say fewer work crews are making pipe repairs a lengthy process.

The utility has a backlog of more than 500 repairs needed.

Officials said in a news release that this winter’s cold weather has increased the number of pipe breaks.

The utility also has reduced its workforce from 31 repair crews to 13, after more than two years of hiring freezes. Utility officials recently hired private contractors to assist in reducing the repair backlog.

Breaks that are causing property damage, water outages or traffic problems are repaired first. Smaller leaks may take more than 12 weeks to be repaired.

If you see or suspect a water leak or sewer spill, call 311 or 704-336-7600. Utilities will dispatch a service technician to evaluate the problem as soon as possible. If a leak exists on a public water pipe, then a work order will be created and a crew dispatched as soon as possible.