Emergency Preparedness FAQ’s
Cold Weather Preparation
Find the Shut-off Valve. The most important thing to know for any unexpected water emergency is where your shut-off valve is. Protect your home and property from water damage by finding the shut-off valve(s) in your house, in your yard, and at the meter. You may only have one or you may have several at different locations. If you absolutely cannot find your shut-off valve contact the district office for assistance in locating the water meter box.
Insulate your pipes. Exposed piping in your garage is often the sight of freezing and breaks. Wrap your exposed piping inside and out with heat tape, insulation strips, or tubing. Protect you meter by using mulch around the meter inside the box to insulate the meter and any valves that may be in your meter box. Yard hydrants and spigots should also be insulated or covered to prevent freezing.
Do you have a Pressure Reducing Valve or Check Valve? Irrigation systems, homes at the bottom of steep hills, pools, hot tubs, or other water dependent appliances may have special valves to relieve pressure, or to keep water flowing in one direction. Make sure these valves are also protected from cold weather to avoid flooding due to breaks in the water system.
What else can you do to avoid freezing pipes? Keep your home warm so that surrounding piping does not freeze. You can let your water drip rapidly for short periods during extreme weather. Keep longer runs of underground piping under 24 to 36 inches of soil. Do not remove dirt from meter boxes as long as you can just see the dial the rest of the meter is protected from cold.
What to do if you will be gone for long periods in the winter. Have the water district turn off your meter before you leave. Drain the piping by opening several faucets at once but make sure you close them once the water is drained. If you choose to winterize a vacant home in this manner also make sure you turn off your hot water heater to avoid damaging the elements in a potentially empty tank.