Everything you need to know about boil notices, frozen pipes

The winter weather crisis has turned into a water crisis for many North Texans, leaving people scrambling to make sure their water is safe and their pipes are protected.

Here’s what you need to know.

The easiest way to prepare for a boil notice is to store bottled water at home before an emergency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends storing one gallon of water per person a day for at least three days or up to two weeks.

If you can collect water before a boil notice, the CDC recommends sanitizing the containers before filling them. It also recommends replacing collected water every six months and storing it in a place between 50 and 70 degrees and away from sunlight and places where toxic chemicals or gasoline are stored.

Rosa Mendoza washes her hands as David Sanroman, 7, pours water from a bottle after the power came back on at their Piedmont Addition apartment in Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. Mendoza’s pipes burst yesterday and hasn’t had consistent power. (Juan Figueroa/ The Dallas Morning News)(Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

In general, people should skip long showers or baths to help conserve water during a boil advisory. But if you must do either of those, you should be OK if you can take a shower or bath without getting water in your mouth. You may also be able to wash your hands with soap and water safely, but check with local officials.

It’s important not to ingest any water that hasn’t been boiled. Only use boiled or bottled water if you’re putting it in your mouth, even if you’re just brushing your teeth.

However, many cities across Texas are encouraging people to use water only if absolutely necessary.

Although backcountry campers may be able to use mountain snow to heat and drink, in urban areas snow is not always as clean. Exhaust in the air and chemicals on the ground could be in the snow near you.

To make snow safe to use, you have to boil it. Because you’re taking the water from frozen to more than 200 degrees, it takes a long time — and a lot of fuel — to bring it up to a safe temperature. You’ll need to collect more snow than you may think to get even a little water. As the snow melts, the water fills less volume than snow does.

Boiling the melted snow for at least 60 seconds and up to five minutes will kill any pathogens — living germs — in your water. But you may want to consider filtering your water to remove heavy metals and other pollutants. Professional filters will help remove most of these particles if you intend to use the water for cooking or cleaning.

All in all, it can be an expensive and time- and fuel-consuming process. If possible, get bottled water to skip the hassle.

1/23Leighanne Katz, left, dressed in a Thunder Buddies costume and Billian Lawal, right, in a Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer costume walk from a 7-Eleven convenience store at the intersection of Elm St and Ervay St on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, in downtown Dallas.(Irwin Thompson)

2/23Carlos de Jesus takes a selfie in front of the frozen fountain at the Richardson Civic Center after a second winter storm brought more snow and continued freezing temperatures to North Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Richardson. After watching the fountain freeze of the the past few days, de Jesus, who lives nearby, said he decided to take a photo Wednesday on his way home from work.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

3/23Leonel Solis and Estefani Garcia use their car to heat their home in East Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. The couple, who lost power on Sunday, have been using electricity from a neighbor’s generator and heat from their car to stay warm after seeing it on TikTok.(Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

4/23An Oncor crew works on along Elsie Faye Higgins Street as power outages continue across the state after a second winter storm brought more snow and continued freezing temperatures to North Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Dallas. ((Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

5/23People toss a football on Bishop Boulevard on the SMU campus after a second winter storm brought more snow and continued freezing temperatures to North Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Dallas.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

6/23After seeing a posting on Facebook, LaDonna (no last name given) drove from Johnson County to collect some of the dumpsters-full of ice cream thrown out at a Southwest Arlington Kroger store, Wednesday, February 17, 2021. LaDonna said she’s collecting the frozen goods for her neighbors. “I do it because they would do it for me.”, she said. Rolling power outages this week have forced businesses to clear merchandise that needs refrigeration. The power is back Wednesday and the store is open.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

7/23Darryl Davis sits on a grate to keep warm on Main Street early Wednesday morning February 17, 2021, in Dallas, Texas. He said he didn’t want to go to the warming center at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.(Irwin Thompson / Staff Photographer)

8/23Two pigeons land, in the snow, on a miniature model of the City of Dallas at the intersection of Pacific Ave and Akard on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 in downtown Dallas.(Irwin Thompson)

9/23Dallas Police Officer Victor Guardiola brings a portable heater to Sylvia Cardona after freezing temperatures hit North Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021.(Lola Gomez / Staff Photographer)

10/23Traffic seen on a snowy and icy North Central Expressway in Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. Millions of Texans have lost power amid this record-breaking winter storm.(Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

11/23USPS mail carrier RayShawn Riley delivers mail to a snow covered neighborhood after a second winter storm brought more snow and continued freezing temperatures to North Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Richardson.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

12/23A snowman in Lower Greenville sits with fresh snow on its head in Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. Millions of Texans have lost power amid this record-breaking winter storm.(Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

13/23Franco Pompa grills chicken in his backyard at his East Dallas home on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. One of the generators is also being used to power neighbor Leonel Solis’ home through a long extension cord.(Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

14/23Patricia Broadway (left) and Leon Morris put the cover back after shutting the water off in Broadway’s home in east Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. Broadway noticed a pipe busted under her kitchen even though she said she did everything right.(Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

15/23Josh and Amy Moore hold hands as the walk along the street alongside Prairie Creek Park after a second winter storm brought more snow and continued freezing temperatures to North Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Richardson.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

16/23A TxDOT snowplow clears snow from N Hall St over North Central Expressway in Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. Millions of Texans have lost power amid this record-breaking winter storm.(Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

17/23A sign advises customers entering a South Arlington QT that they have no running water, Wednesday, February 17, 2021. The City of Arlington told residents to conserve water and boil water after a potential water main break.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

18/23Letter carrier Angel Garcia delivers mail to a snow covered neighborhood after a second winter storm brought more snow and continued freezing temperatures to North Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Richardson. “We’re going slow, but we are getting it delivered,” Garcia said of USPS mail deliveries.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

19/23People check out the partially frozen waterfall in Prairie Creek Park after a second winter storm brought more snow and continued freezing temperatures to North Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Richardson.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

20/23Crews use plows to clear snow from the Terminal B tarmac at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Another round of snow fell overnight at the airport.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

21/23Jack Levison and Priscilla Pope-Levison take a stroll down Swiss Ave in Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021.(Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

22/23James Annon walks his dog, Jax, across the intersection of Main St and Ervay St on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 in downtown Dallas.(Irwin Thompson)

23/23Leonel Solis (left) and Estefani Garcia get ready to cook outside of their home in East Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. The couple, who lost power on Sunday, have been using electricity from a neighbor’s generator and heat from their car to stay warm.(Juan Figueroa / Staff photographer)

Maintenance workers fix the busted pipe at Rosa Mendoza’s Piedmont Addition home in Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. The family’s pipes burst Tuesday and hasn’t had consistent power. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News via AP)(Juan Figueroa)

To stave off the freeze, Dallas Water Utilities suggests you:

• Find exposed pipes in unheated parts of your home, such as outside or in the attic, and make sure they are wrapped to keep them insulated.
• Remove garden hoses from outside faucets and insulate them with hard foam covers or cloth.
• For pier-and-beam foundations, cover vents around the foundation.
• Learn how to shut off water from your home in case of emergency.

If you have a major break in your pipes, turn off the water supply to your house as soon as possible to avoid further damage.

You should also contact your insurance agent quickly because many other Texans may be filing claims in the coming days.

If you live in an apartment, shutting off the main water supply may be out of your control. But be in contact with management.

Each home is different, but it is easiest to start by looking either near your water heater indoors or at your water meter outdoors.

For many homes in Texas, the shut-off is underground near the street. Because of snow buildup, it may be buried, so it is important to know where your valve is before an emergency. Open the plastic cover of the utilities box and use a wrench to close the valve inside.

Below is a video that explains how you can turn of your water at home in a few easy steps. It was produced by a community vendor. We don’t endorse the vendor and there are many professional plumbers that you can use if needed during this weather event. https://t.co/Pn6jIffbC8

— City of Arlington (@CityOfArlington) February 17, 2021

If your pipes freeze and you shut off the water to your home, open a major line faucet inside, such as a bathtub, so if water in the pipes begins to melt, it has somewhere to go.

Most pools will be fine with a thin layer of ice, but significant freezing can lead to costly damage to pipes and pumps. Make sure any outdoor or above-ground pipes are insulated and try to keep your pump working to circulate water and keep it from freezing.

If you lose power and your pump freezes, damage may be unavoidable. Call a pool technician for an inspection if you’re concerned about your pool’s functionality.