Are you ready for the bitter cold?  Sure, you may have a winter coat, boots, and a shovel, but what about your water pipes?  Are they ready for the winter?  Freezing temperatures can affect the water supply in your home and business, but if you follow a few simple steps, you can prevent the water pipes from freezing and possibly bursting.  Chester Water Authority recommends the following:

•      Disconnect all hoses from the outside faucets.

•      Insulate or wrap all pipes and faucets in unheated areas and crawl spaces.

•      Close all windows and garage doors near pipes.

•      If you have had a problem in the past with a particular faucet during extremely cold weather, leave a thin stream of cold water running continuously from that faucet.  This will keep the line from freezing.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.  Taking a couple of minutes now to protect your water pipes can save you from a headache later.