Brace yourself-winter is coming! With temperatures dropping below freezing, the City of Arlington wants to remind residents to protect their pipes and know what to do if water or sewer problems emerge when cold weather strikes.

Prepare for frozen weather by following these tips:

• Open cabinet doors under sinks to expose pipes to heat within the house.
• Allow hot and cold water to slowly drip from inside faucets.
• Wrap exposed exterior pipes and faucets with foam insulation or newspaper.
• Wrap pipes located in attics or garages with heat tape or cover them with pipe insulation.
• Remove garden hoses from outside faucets.
• Cover all openings around the foundation.
• If planning to be out of town for an extended time, turn off water to the house and open faucets to reduce pressure.
• If water pipes become frozen, let them thaw naturally by exposing warmer air to the pipes. Never try to thaw pipes using hair dryers or other forms of heat!
• Turn off your outdoor irrigation system and only run it manually when needed this winter.
• If you do not have a private water cutoff valve, and need help with turning your water off, call 817-275-5931 Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm, or 817-459-5900 after hours & on weekends.
• Call Arlington Water Utilities at 817-459-5900 to report potential public water line breaks or to report slow leaks in public water lines that may cause ice to form.

You can also find some great information about preparing for freezing weather here:http://webapps.arlingtontx.gov/tmp/fire/oem/emergencypreparedness_severeweather_winterweather.html

Don't forget to prepare your pets for frozen weather:http://webapps.arlingtontx.gov/tmp/Animals/WinterSafety.html