NewsLeak

As the temperature drops, water lines and pipes become vulnerable to freezing, which in turn can lead to cracks, costly leaks and possible water damage to homes. Homeowners are encouraged to take precautionary steps to ensure pipes do not freeze throughout the winter.

In a piece for Home Town Life, Lt. Denny Hughes from the Farmington Hills Fire Department in Michigan said the fire department is accustomed to responding to calls about water damage from frozen pipes. Plastic and copper water pipes can burst in the winter, and an eighth of an inch crack in a pipe can release 250 gallons of water into a home each day it is left untreated. Homeowners' furniture, floors, roofs and valuables can all be damaged from frozen pipes.

Therefore, Hughes recommends homeowners first locate where the master water shut off is in the house, in case of an emergency to stop water from entering the home during a leak. They also should proactively insulate their exposed piping with heat tape to prevent freezing. Leaving one faucet trickling during the cold months can also prevent water from sitting in pipes and freezing.

According to the Red Cross, another way to prevent pipes from freezing is to open cabinet doors to let warm air from inside the home circulate around the pipes to keep them warm.

The Red Cross also warns against water hazards on the road during winter months, as city water mains can freeze and crack. If inclement weather conditions make roads more dangerous, travelers should avoid driving. As a precaution, drivers should always have blankets, a flash light and other emergency tools in case they are on the road and a water hazard presents itself.

A sinkhole on Patuxtent River Road in Edgewater, Maryland, destroyed two cars in September and created an obstacle for members of the community. The Department of Public Works recently finished fixing the sinkhole and repairing the surrounding area so the street can once again be open to the public.

The Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch reported the sinkhole developed after tropical storm Lee hit the town in September, which left large bodies of water on roads, county fields and local parks. When the sinkhole was discovered, the DPW said it would take several weeks to repair. Months after the storm, residents started to wonder when the road would be safe for travel again. But the sinkhole has been fixed and the DPW added a guardrail to the road for extra security in the future.

Another sinkhole was found in Plant City, Florida, causing costly repairs to the local community. Two years after the sinkhole was found, Plant City crews are being reimbursed for the associated costs, Tampa Bay Online reported.

Plant City commissioners approved an agreement between City Manager Greg Horwedel and the Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration for $727,286 for the repairs. The payment will cover all costs the city incurred when it shored up unstable soil from the sinkhole that depressed the pavement of a major street, the source reported.

Residents who frequent the Bogert Pool in Montana will likely be glad to know a replacement boiler was installed after a leak in the pool center's previous boiler sprung a leak, and the facility will be open for the remainder of the summer, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports.

According to the newspaper, the pool will open in time for some of the warmest weather the state has seen this year after crews at the facility replaced the problematic boiler.

Bozeman Aquatic director Dan McCarthy told the Daily Chronicle staff needed time to train for pool safety, which forced officials to open the swimming pool two weeks later than planned.

While the boiler issue was fixed, more repair work is necessary for the pool, officials told the paper. At the end of summer, the pool's shell and gutters will be repaired as necessary to prevent issues, such as leaks and cracks.

Officials in Bozeman are more concerned with flooding issues, as the city and other nearby communities have dealt with high waters this year, due in part to heavy rains.

A failed air compressor in a Cleveland parking garage set off a chain reaction that caused a significant water leak, flooding the garage along with several cars that were parked inside.

According to WKYC-TV, a broken belt on an air compressor caused the garage's fire sprinkler system to malfunction. Then, cold temperatures ruptured a pop fitting, which dumped thousands of gallons of water in the garage, which completely flooded at least seven cars.

A tow truck driver who pulled the vehicles out of the water told the station that all of the electrical systems inside are probably damaged beyond repair.

"We will be working with each of [the affected residents] individually to make sure that they are made whole as quickly as possible," the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority's CEO, George Phillips-Olivier, told the station.

The station says the problem was first reported by a resident early Thursday morning. It's unknown exactly when the pipe failed.

More similar issues may be popping in the city over the next few days. Wednesday, meteorologists told Reuters that the area would likely see temperatures about 15 to 20 degrees colder than normal for at least several days.