Contact: Don Kirkland, Assistant Director
: DKirkland@wichita.gov
: (316) 268-4504

1. Insulate any exposed piping, and close any openings, vents, or windows into a crawl space or basement. (Commercially available pipe insulation or several wrappings of newspaper can be used to insulate pipes). Remember that outside hose connections are especially vulnerable. Plumbing companies also offer heat tape for plumbing, if your pipes have been especially vulnerable to freezing in cold weather.

2. 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 Water & Sewer Department will shut off your water at the meter if requested. (Call 268-4940 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.

Your Water & Sewer Department 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).

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