HOW TO REPORT A WATER MAIN BREAK
If you see water bubbling in the street or grass area and/or experience no water, considerably lower water pressure or a prolonged period of dirty or rusty water, you may be experiencing a water main break or service leak. Please call the MDC Command Center at (860) 278-7850 press 1 immediately.
Please remember that cold weather has an adverse affect on water pipes and even though we experience water main breaks throughout the year, we see a significant increase during the winter months.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PIPES FROM FREEZING
Autumn is a good time to take steps to prevent water pipes from freezing and bursting in the winter.
Insulate water pipes in any “unheated” areas of your basement, such as crawl spaces. Also, inspect your basement for broken windows or especially drafty areas. Bitter cold blowing directly on a water pipe can quicken the freezing process.
Consider draining your outside faucets by closing your shut-off valves (usually located within three feet of the interior basement walls nearest the outside faucet), opening your outside faucets to drain the water from the valves to the spigots and, leaving your outside faucets open through the winter.
If you are going away for the winter, consider draining your plumbing system even if you intend to leave the heat on. Ask a qualified plumber how to do this. If you receive water from the MDC, call the MDC’s Command Center at (860) 278-7850 x3600 so that your water can be shut off at the curb box as well.
If you use a wood or coal burning stove as the primary source of heat in your home and you also have a conventional hot water heating system that you seldom use, it is a good practice to occasionally turn on your hot water heater. Water left standing in a pipe or radiator — particularly in or near an exterior wall — can freeze during bitter cold spells.
If a pipe does break in your home, shut off the main valve nearest to the water meter and call a plumber.