The Clackamas River Water Providers (CRWP) shares the helpful tips below on how to prepare for colder weather:

Don't Let Cold Weather Catch You Unprepared

Every winter, many homeowners face the expense and inconvenience of frozen water pipes. But you can cross that off your list of winter worries by taking a few simple precautions:

• Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses. Detaching a hose allows water to drain from the faucet. Otherwise, a single, hard overnight freeze can burst either the faucet or the pipe it's connected to.
   
• Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas. If you have pipes in the attic, an unheated garage or cold crawl space under the house, wrap the water pipes before temperatures plummet. Hardware or building supply stores will have good pipe wrapping materials available.
   
• Seal off access doors, air vents and cracks. Winter winds whistling through overlooked openings can quickly freeze exposed water pipes.
   
• Find the master shutoff valve. If a pipe bursts anywhere in the house - kitchen, bath, basement or crawl space - this valve turns the water off to the house. So find it now. Be sure everyone in the family knows where it is and what it does.
   
• In severe cold weather, you may want to allow a faucet to drip a small continuous stream.

What if it's too late?

What if you wake up one day to find the pipes are frozen anyway? During an extended cold spell, it can happen despite precautions. Do you have the plumber's telephone number handy? Write it down now before you need it in an emergency.

Repairing a broken water pipe

If your burst pipe is located in or around your home, then it is your responsibility to repair the pipe. If the break is at the street, contact your water provider to repair it. We are always ready to respond to water service emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Call (503) 654-7765 for assistance.