This week’s winter storm has set new records for cold weather and challenged Hitchcock’s infrastructure. Local power shortages have affected Hitchcock pump stations and may have caused low water pressure or outages near you.

Additionally, extended freezing temperatures have frozen pipes in many homes across town. Here are some tips to troubleshoot that issue:

• Check multiple faucets around the home. Are they all off or is it just one or a few? If so, your pipes are likely frozen.
• Leave cabinet doors open under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warmer room air to circulate over the pipes.
• If there are rooms without heating ducts, leave doors open to allow ambient heat in. Especially if the room is on the north side of the house.
• Allow faucets to drip in various areas of the home to keep water in the pipes moving.
• The City does not recommend applying heat to pipes to defrost them.

And even once warmer weather has returned, it’s important to check plumbing in areas that might have frozen. Broken/cracked pipes can produce lasting – and expensive – water damage.

• Please pay special attention to those pipes because leaks from there could cause significant damage to homes and businesses.
• So, before that happens, we’d like you to check now and know where you can turn off your water at the meter and be prepared to turn it off should your pipes start leaking.  
• From there, you will need to contact a plumber to make the repairs.

We truly hope that your pipes will be fine, but please be prepared to take care of them if they aren’t. It will save you significant time and money.

Thank you,
City of Hitchcock