With freezing temperatures right around the corner, it’s a good time to refresh ourselves on precautionary measures for drops in temperature and cold weather.

The Four P’s to Prepare your Home this Winter:

• People
• Pets
• Pipes
• Plants

People

• Avoid going outside if it is not necessary. If you do, make sure you layer up from head to toe.
• To keep you and your family safe, it is imperative your home is warm.
• Make sure your heat is set to an appropriate temperature to make your entire home comfortable. Remember, heat rises so if you sleep upstairs, your room may be warmer than rooms downstairs.
• If you use a fireplace, make sure you have a screen to catch any embers that might escape or a rolling log.
• Never use your stove or oven to heat your home.
• If you smell smoke or see flames, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Pets

• While protecting your family, it is imperative to protect your pets as well.
• Pets, like humans, are vulnerable to cold temperatures. If not taken care of properly, they can succumb to frostbite and even hypothermia.
• If you have a dog that typically lives outdoors, consider letting them inside when temperatures drop to freezing. While their fur does help to keep them warm, it provides little help in freezing temperatures.
• If you absolutely cannot bring them inside, make sure they have a warm shelter, plenty of food and fresh water so it does not freeze.
• If your pet looks like it has any symptoms resembling frostbite or hypothermia, call your vet.

Pipes

• Turn off the sprinkler system shut-off valve. Most residential devices have two shut-off valves. These are typically covered in blue on the valve handles and located before and after the sprinkler system backflow device. A diagram is shown below.
• Release the water pressure from the bleeder valves. The bleeder valves are usually located under the top of the backflow device. If the water does not stop flowing you may have not shut the valves off completely.
• Leave the smaller bleeder valve open, this will let any remaining water in the line expand without breaking the device. Insulate your backflow device. Most hardware/home services stores carry backflow insulation supplies.
• Make sure to cover all your exposed pipes with a cover. You can also cover your pipes with towels, duct tape or another adhesive strip as long as they are wrapped tightly.
• You can also open up the cabinets to let warm air circulate throughout your home. Just make sure any harmful chemicals are out of reach for children and pets.

Plants

• When cold weather hits, it’s a good idea to bring in all of your outdoor plants.
• If you can’t bring in the plant, cover it with a blanket to make sure they do not die.

Other Tips

• Don’t forget to make sure your car is okay for the freezing temperatures. Check your anti-freeze and your batteries. Also make sure to check your tire pressure and the tread.
• Speaking of cars, make sure when you are on the road that you are mindful parts of the roads may be frozen, particularly bridges. Do not speed and never slam on the brakes.
• Make sure if you use a generator, it is outdoors. Do not use a generator inside, including in your garage.

The City of Houston (COH), the primary source of water for the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (Authority), entered stage one of the COH Drought Contingency Plan on June 21, 2022, due to the observed drop in annual rainfall amounts and higher-than-normal daily temperatures. The COH’s drought response calls for voluntary water conservations efforts to reduce water use, that will reduce the daily volume of water delivered. The Houston Public Works Release can be found under https://nhcrwa.info/coh-stage1.

The Authority is implementing Stage 1 of our Drought Contingency Plan immediately. The Authority’s Drought Contingency Plan request that any customer receiving water from the Authority or well owner whose well is included under the Authority’s Harris-Galveston Subsidence District aggregate water well permit:

• Check for and repair all leaks, dripping faucets, and running toilets.
• Utilize water conservation measures such as displacement bags, low-flow shower heads and leak detection tablets. Additional water conservation tips can be found at https://wateru.nhcrwa.com and www.irrygator.com;
• Limit irrigation to no more than two days per week, between 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. following the schedules below:
• Sundays and Thursdays for single family residential customers with even-numbered street addresses.
• Saturdays and Wednesdays for single family residential customers with odd-numbered street addresses.
• Tuesdays and Fridays for all other customers.
• No watering on Mondays.

Compliance to the above recommendations is voluntary.

Drip, Drip, Drip…Let’s Talk Leaks!

Guess what! National Fix A Leak Week is March 14-20th and we want to be sure you have the best resources to keep you informed of the little problems caused by water leaks. Awareness of what to look for and knowledge of how to fix any leak issues can go a long way in prevention and saving money. Leaks can run, but they can’t hide!



Did you know that simple faucet leaks amount to approximately 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year? That’s huge! And so easily preventable! Not to mention, leaks are costly. Taking time each year to perform a preventative check, can help keep your check book in order.
When you are on the hunt for possible leaks, it is important to start with the data… Begin with your water bill, check your meter, and test your toilets. These will give you some clue as to the prevalence of a water leak in your home.

The EPA recommends the following checklist for tracking down a leak! Here are some of the best-known hiding places to start. Keep your ears open!

• Bathroom

  • Toilets
  • Faucets
  • Showerheads
  • Under the sink
  • Don’t forget the tub!

• Laundry Room

  • Check all of your hook-ups!
  • Look for pooling in the washer itself (it could indicate a source leak)

• Kitchen

  • Check all appliances, such as the dishwasher and fridge. Many times, there are leaks behind them.

• Basement and Garage

  • Sinks
  • Exposed pipes
  • Water Heaters

• Outside

  • Spigots
  • Irrigation controls and sprinkler heads