As the Houston area gets ready for the expected harsh cold and maybe historic snowfall, many residents are wondering whether it would be wise to drip or not.
Officials from Harris County and the City of Houston gave contradictory advice ahead of the winter storm that was predicted to hit late Monday night into early Tuesday. While city officials cautioned that leaking faucets might result in problems with water pressure throughout the city, county officials advised residents to leave their pipes flowing to avoid water freezing inside them and causing the pipes to explode when it thaws.
According to Chato Woodard, a spokesman of the local plumbers union, letting faucets trickle can help keep them from freezing.
“Of course, everybody kind of argues about it running water, not running water,” he stated. “I really believe that if you’re not utilizing the water, you should let it drip. Usually, you use it during the day to wash your hands, use the restroom, and grab a drink of water. But normally, you don’t run water for a long time at night.
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However, dipping faucets throughout the city could result in a decline in water system pressure, according to Houston Mayor John Whitmire and a Houston Public Works official over the weekend.
“We discourage the leaking of your pipes because it affects water pressure for fire suppression, but wrap your pipes if at all possible,” Whitmire stated. “And then, of course, you can drip them if you have no other recourse.”
Houston Public Works Director Rand Macchi echoed the mayor’s message on preventing frozen pipes, stating that dripping faucets might put additional strain on an already fragile water system.
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“The reality of the situation is on the best of days in the City of Houston and the mayor has done a tremendous job of documenting this over the last year our system is fragile,” he stated. “There’s still more than 1,00 active water main leaks across the city, so the strain on the pressure that the system can deliver is significant.”
Macchi suggested that city dwellers leave the cabinet doors open beneath the sink to let warm air flow around water pipes rather than using dripping faucets.
“Take the precautions that you can,” he advised. “Cover the outside of your pipes. Make sure you leave an opening underneath your cabinets to allow some warm air to enter. Generally speaking, if residents take every care possible, there shouldn’t be any significant disasters.
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According to Macchi, it’s crucial for homeowners to understand how to shut off the water in case of a leak.
“Part of that’s also understanding what’s going on at your home,” he continued. “Verify the location of your shutdown valve. In the event that your house lacks one or you are unable to reach it to turn off the water, please give us a call, and we will assist you with that portion.
According to Macchi, the city may have to issue a boil water notice if the water pressure drops too low.
