We have gotten some strange phone calls based on what a Houston area water company has allegedly told residents. They told them to shut off their water because their system could not handle dripping faucets to prevent freezing and it is circulating on social media.
As low temperatures come into our area, we should be mindful of some things we can do to reduce the chances of pipes freezing.
- If in doubt, leave your water running slightly inside your house nearest to where the water line enters the house. Just a trickle should be sufficient.
- Unlike some systems, ours is healthy enough to handle a slightly running faucet. SWU can handle the flows.
- Do not shut off your water unless you absolutely have to. Water can get trapped in your pipes and still freeze.
- Make sure your crawl spaces under your house have entrance doors closed or blocked that access your crawl space.
- Close your garage door. Many pipes freeze when a garage door is left open and or is not heated.
- If possible, provide safe, low temp heat in an unheated garage or attic space where pipes may be.
- Remove water hoses from outside faucets to prevent hoses from cracking.
- If you are concerned about your meter freezing in your box, place a bag of topsoil or other loose material in a bag or other insulating material over the lid.
- If you have water loss, please call 479-751-5751 and we will dispatch personnel as soon as safely possible to determine if it is an SWU issue or a customer issue.
- Fill some containers with water and keep inside the house in case efforts to prevent freezing fail.
Above all, be safe. Thank you.