Facilities Nationwide Deal With Burst Pipes From Extreme Cold

Plumbers and service cleanup companies across the United States were kept busy last week because of pipes that burst due to extreme cold temperatures.

Facilities reportedly affected by burst pipes included Colorado State University, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, just to name a few. In Chicago, a popular records store, Bric-A-Brac Records & Collectibles, lost thousands of rare LPs, VHS tapes, and vintage toys, according to ABC’s WLS-TV affiliate station, when four frozen pipes burst.

According to NPR, much of the country’s Deep South was plagued by troubled water systems, with the mayor of Selma, Alabama, declaring a state of emergency due to water leaks and shortages. At a food bank in Greenville, South Carolina, US$1 million in food was threatened due to flooding.

The freezing weather followed a deadly winter snowstorm that affected much of the country over the holidays. The northeastern states were hit particularly hard, as the city of Buffalo, New York, was buried in almost 52 inches of snow. According to Fox News, as of Thursday, December 29, 39 people had died in Erie County, New York, the county in which Buffalo is located. The county had already spent $5 million on private contractors to help with the storm cleanup, with $1 million being devoted to the city of Buffalo.

To learn effective and affordable steps you can take to prevent burst pipes, check out Preventing Burst Pipes in Your Facility.