01/23/2026
Attention SAWS Customer:
Extended freezing temperatures are expected over the next few nights. We recommend you prepare early to protect your home's water pipes.
If you live in a home with pier and beam construction, prefab, or mobile home construction, insulate exposed pipes in the crawl space with store-bought foam or fiberglass insulation sleeves. If necessary, you can also use cloth, rags, bags, and tape to protect pipes.
If your home has plumbing in cabinets on outside walls without insulation, leave the cabinet doors open to allow warmer indoor air to circulate.
Disconnect anything connected to a hose bib. Also, cover hose bibs and any other exposed pipes with foam insulation and faucet protectors. Even wrapping pipes with rags or newspapers will do.
Turn off irrigation systems at the shut-off valve. In most cases there is no need to drain the system.
During the coldest temperatures, allow an internal faucet to slowly drip to keep water moving in your pipes.
Cover vulnerable plants with cloth – not plastic – and make sure it reaches all the way to the ground. Even an old bed sheet can work. Weigh down the edges to hold it in place. For more advice on preparing for freezing temperatures, visit GardenStyleSA.com/freeze.
Visit saws.org for information in both English and Spanish to prepare for cold weather: saws.org/BeReady (English) or saws.org/Preparate (Español).
It may not feel like winter is coming, but it’s always a good idea to be prepared — whatever the weather.
