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Cold Weather Guidelines
Low freezing temperatures may cause some homes or businesses to be without water because of frozen pipes unless precautions are taken.
In order to protect your plumbing and prevent interruption of water service, your Wichita Water Utilities suggests:
Insulate pipes that are exposed to cold air, especially in your basement or crawl space. Wrap pipes in unheated areas with weatherproof insulation or heat tape.
Take measures to prevent the flow of cold air into your basement or crawl space. Make sure that basement vents are closed and windows and doors create a tight seal. Repair broken glass in basement windows, and seal cracks in basement and crawl space masonry walls.
| Locate the master valve in your home |
It is usually located just inside your home or business building foundation where pipes enter a crawl space or basement. The master valve can be turned off if your pipes break so that water damage does not occur. If your pipes burst, the Wichita Water Utilities will shut off your water at the meter if requested. (Call (316) 262-6000 to request such assistance). However, in emergency conditions, it may take several hours for us to get your water shut off.
Never thaw a frozen pipe with an open flame. This can cause a fire or damage the pipe connections and fittings. If you lose water service, call us, and we will assist you in locating the source of the problem. Please be patient, as in previous years, we have had as many as 500 calls in one day during periods of extremely cold weather.
Prevent sink pipes from freezing by opening vanity or cabinet doors. This allows warm air to circulate and can keep sink pipes from freezing.
Wichita Water Utilities does not recommend leaving your water running because it is wasteful. However, if you feel you must leave water running to prevent your pipes from freezing, the stream of water should be no larger than the size of a pencil lead (about 1/8 of an inch).
NO WATER?
Call our 24-Hour Emergency Number!
(316) 262-6000
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