From the Firehouse: Protect your pipes

By Mac Hohenberger, Fire Chief, Denton County Emergency Services District #1

As we enter the cold month February, we would like to encourage you to familiarize yourself with your water shutoff valve should the pipes in your home freeze and burst.

During winter storm Uri last February, the Denton County ESD #1 responded to 127 broken pipe calls, with the majority of those experiencing water damage to their homes.

Locate the valve: the water main shutoff valve could be in a number of places, depending on the age of your home and the neighborhood you are in. Possible locations include inside your home, outdoors on an exterior wall, or outdoors buried near the street. If it is buried near the street, check for an access panel buried in the ground. The access panel may require a special tool called a meter key (sold at most hardware stores) to remove the cover.

Turn off the water: for gate valves, turn clockwise until you can’t turn it any longer. For ball valves, turn the lever clockwise 90 degrees.

Run the taps in your home to relieve pressure in the valves.

You can sign up for emergency notifications by visiting our website at www.dentoncountyesd1.gov or by calling the Denton County ESD #1 Administration office at 940-464-7102.

For questions, please feel free to send me an email at [email protected]