Fort Worth issued an announcement to residents on Jan. 7 on how to prepare for the upcoming winter weather and where to shelter against the freezing temperatures.
What you need to know
To protect pipes, the city recommends finding and learning how to shut off the water with the private shut-off valve.
According to the announcement from Fort Worth, here are some additional tips for protecting pipes and keeping family safe:
- Make sure all outside pipes are insulated. Disconnect hoses from the faucet and cover the faucet.
- Check to see that pipes in unheated parts of homes or businesses (including crawl spaces, attic spaces and under cabinets) are insulated.
- Open cabinet doors that contain water pipes to allow heat to enter the area.
- Turn off or unplug irrigation systems during the winter to prevent ice on sidewalks or streets. Drain the lines to prevent them from freezing and bursting.
- Commercial buildings with fire sprinklers should leave the heat on overnight and on weekends when subfreezing temperatures are forecast.
- Make sure everyone in the household knows where the main water shut-off valve is in case a pipe breaks and the water needs to be turned off in a hurry. Check this valve now to make sure it is working.
- Keep extra water on hand during freezing weather in case a main break or frozen pipe cuts off the water supply.
- In case of a water main break, call 817-392-4477
