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For water and sewer emergencies, including main breaks and sewer stoppages, or changes in the taste, odor, or color of drinking water, call Water Resources 24-hour Dispatch at
336-373-2033.

Did you know?

The City's online water customer portal, GSO WaterWise, provides near-real-time leak and high-usage alerts that you can customize by notification type (email, text, or voice) and frequency.

Winter Effects

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Winter conditions can freeze your home and business’s pipes, leading to water main breaks. Additionally, winter holiday cooking can result in grease getting into kitchen pipes, which causes sewage system backups.

Below are ways you can help protect your water and sewer systems, as well as those of the entire City, this winter. Every person can make a difference!

Did you Know? The Guilford Emergency Alert, Notification, and Information System (GEANI) delivers urgent public safety messages by phone, text, and email. It’s available to all residents and businesses in Guilford County, including parts of High Point in Forsyth, Davidson, and Randolph Counties. Sign up today!

Prevent Freezing Pipes

The local weather report calls for sub-zero temperatures one weekend. You may decide to hunker down at home, or you may head out of state to ride out the cold snap. Wherever you are, remember that home and business pipes with any water in them can freeze and burst.

Your pipes are at risk of freezing whenever temperatures drop below 32°F, and the risk increases significantly when temperatures reach 20°F or lower. Frozen pipes can burst, potentially causing costly water damage to your home or business.

Help prevent this by following these tips:

Wrap pipes with insulation or use newspapers and plastic sheets/bags to protect them from dropping temperatures.
Allow faucets to drip slightly during cold snaps. Keeping water moving reduces the risk of freezing.
Keep garage doors closed if water supply lines are located in the garage.
Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around plumbing.
Know where your main water shutoff valve is located and how to turn it off in case a pipe bursts.

Report Water Main Breaks

Water main breaks can occur for a variety of reasons at any time of year, but they are most likely to occur in frigid weather. Air temperatures at or below freezing cause the ground above a pipe to freeze, increasing external stress on pipe systems.

If you see, hear, or experience any of the signs of a water main break below, please call Water Resources 24-hour Dispatch immediately at 336-373-2033.

Water is leaking around a metal cap on the ground.
Reduced pressure or volume when using water from a fixture.
Saturated soil, standing water, or water leaking from a water meter.
Water leaking, seeping, or gurgling from the ground, pavement, or fire hydrant.
Sinkholes, impaired streets, or sidewalks.

Your information could prevent a small issue from becoming a bigger problem!

Avoid Sewer Backups and Overflows

Holiday meals are the best! But with all that wintertime cooking, sometimes oil or grease goes down the sink drain.

Over time, these substances can harden in pipes, causing unhealthy backups in the home and the City's sewage collection system.

Check out "What can you do to keep Greensboro's sewers fat-free?" on this Web page.

Remember that even if a product’s packaging claims an item can be flushed down the toilet, do not do it. Everyday items that you should never flush are listed in "What should I flush and what shouldn't I?" on this Web page.

Regardless of the cause, always report sewer overflows by calling Water Resources 24-hour Dispatch as soon as possible, at 336-373-2033.