Lightning in Dark Clouds

NextEra Water prepares year round for emergencies and natural disasters so we can continue to provide our customers with a safe, clean, reliable water supply. Safety is our top priority. We plan for emergencies and we encourage our customers to plan by taking the following steps for emergencies and natural disasters.

A boil water advisory is a public notice to advise customers to boil their tap water before drinking it. These notifications are issued if an event has happened that may impact the quality of your water supply.

The health and safety of our customers are our top priorities. If a boil water advisory is issued, we will notify impacted customers as soon as possible.

If you receive a boil water advisory, take the following steps immediately:

  • Do not use or drink water that comes from your sink or any appliance connected to your water line, such as ice and water from a refrigerator.
  • Use bottled or boiled water for drinking, brushing your teeth, preparing or cooking food and for your pets.
  • If bottled water is not available, bring tap water to a full rolling boil for one minute. After boiling, allow the water to cool before use.

 

Before a storm

  • Review your storm plan and be prepared for possible service interruptions.
  • Prepare to be without drinkable water for an extended period of time. FEMA recommends keeping one gallon of water per day per person for at least three days during an emergency.
  • Be prepared to boil water in the event a boil water notice is issued.
  • Heed warnings and evacuation orders by local, state and federal officials.
  • Keep a battery-operated radio on hand with a two-week supply of fresh batteries, along with other essentials.


Before a storm hits, take steps to protect your water supply.

  • Know the location of your main water valve. If your pipes become damaged, you’ll want to be able to reach it right away.
  • Turn off your hot water heater, following the manufacturer’s instructions to reduce the stress on your plumbing system. Remember, some water heaters may be damaged if the water supply is turned off for an extended period of time.
  • Store drinking water in clean, noncorrosive, tightly covered containers in a cool, dark location.
  • Collect water in bathtubs for non-drinking uses.
  • Turn off pool pumps. Remove and store any hoses to protect them.
  • Make sure your sprinkler system pump is properly secured.
  • If you don’t evacuate, monitor your water supply closely.
  • If your water is cloudy or has an odor, check your state tab on this website and monitor your local news sources to see if an emergency boil water advisory has been issued for your area.
  • If a boil water advisory is issued during a storm, use bottled or boiled water for drinking, brushing your teeth, preparing or cooking food and for your pets.
  • Avoid using or drinking tap water until the advisory has been lifted.


After a storm

  • Continue to heed the warnings from local, state and federal officials.
  • Follow boil water advisories until lifted.
  • If no boil water advisory was issued in your neighborhood, you can continue to use your tap water.

 

Preparation for freezing weather

  • Wrap all exposed pipes outdoors or in unheated areas of your home with foam (polyethylene) pipe insulation (available at home improvement or big box stores) and duct tape.
  • Remove garden hoses from outside faucets.
  • Insulate outside faucets with a Styrofoam dome cover, rags or paper.
  • Cover any vents around the foundation of your home.
  • Know where your property owner’s cut-off valve is located and how to use it.
  • Apply spray lubricant, like WD-40, to the cut-off valve before operating to prevent the valve from breaking.

 

In sub-freezing weather

  • Drip outside faucets 24 hours a day, about 5 drops per minute.
  • Remove wrappings on outdoor spigots to allow water to drip to the ground. Where possible, keep wrapping on the exposed portion of the pipes that do not obstruct the water from dripping. It’s only necessary to drip faucets if the temperature is expected to be 28 degrees or lower for at least four hours. Make sure you turn off the faucets after the threat of freezing weather passes.
  • Inside your home, open cabinet doors under sinks that back up to outside walls
  • If your garage is unheated, shut off the water to your washing machines. Water softeners should be drained and protected from freezing temperatures.
  • In sustained sub-freezing weather, let water drip slowly from inside faucets.
  • Take extra precaution to protect pipes that have frozen in the past.

 

If you’re going to be away from home

  • Shut water off at the cut-off valve.
  • Drain all outside water faucets and leave them open if your house will be unoccupied for several days.
  • Set your home’s heating system on a low setting.
  • Open any cabinet doors under sinks that back up to outside walls.

 

If you’re renting your home or apartment, you may be responsible for any personal property damage caused by broken water pipes during severe weather. Contact your property manager, landlord or maintenance staff to locate the cut-off valve and find ways to keep your pipes from freezing or breaking.

 

In many states, the main water cut-off valve is often located outside the house, usually along the front outside wall and often near an outside faucet. In larger cities and some suburbs, the main water shut-off valves may be inside the meter box near the curb.

 

If your water line breaks and the cut off valve does not work, or if you are unable to locate or operate the valve, call NextEra Water at 866-NEW-WATR (866-639-9287).

 

Droughts can have a devastating impact on the local water supply. NextEra Water works with state and local officials to develop comprehensive plans to conserve water during times of drought. You can access NextEra Water Drought Contingency Plan here.

At this time, there are no drought conditions affecting NextEra Water Texas public water systems.

However, NextEra Water encourages customers to make water conservation part of their daily lives so that when a drought happens, they are prepared. Check out these simple tips to save water and help save money on your monthly bill here.

Customers are encouraged to know the location of their water meter.

Following a weather emergency, make sure your water meter is visible, and the area surrounding the meter is free of trash and debris. Mechanical equipment used after a storm to clean up a location may damage your meter if it is hidden. If a water meter is damaged or an underground pipe is exposed, immediately call NextEra Water at 866-NEW-WATR.

 

Low water pressure

Different factors may cause low water pressure in your home.

  • Pipe flushing – Low water pressure may be a temporary condition caused by utility technicians flushing the water pipes in your neighborhood. Flushing is the process of sending a high-speed stream of water through the main distribution system to clean the inside of the pipes. The process takes about 30 – 60 minutes on each street. 
  • Pipe leaks – Low water pressure may also result from leaking pipes. To see if you have a leak, turn off all water sources that may be running in your home and check your water meter. If the reading continues to go up while your taps are off, you may have a leak. Contact a licensed plumber to find and repair any leaks.
  • Blocked pipes – When your home’s pipes are blocked, water will have a hard time moving through the pipes at high pressure. Pipes may become blocked from a buildup of oil, grease, dirt and foreign objects. Hire a licensed plumber to find the blockage and remove it.
  • Partially opened or closed shutoff valve – If your home’s water shutoff valve is closed or only partially open, your water pressure will be affected. Make sure the shutoff valve is fully opened, following any instructions provided by the valve’s manufacturer.
  • Closed or partially opened water meter valve – Like your water shutoff valve, your water meter valve needs to be fully opened to deliver high water pressure to your home. If you’ve had plumbing work done at your home recently, your plumber may have closed the water meter valve and not fully reopened it. Call your plumber or call NextEra Water at 866-NEW-WATR (866-639-9287) to get someone to open it for you.
  • High water demand – if you’re running your dishwasher, shower and washing machine at the same time, it can impact your water pressure. Usually, by spacing out different tasks that consume a lot of water, you can fix the issue. You can also look for ways to upgrade your plumbing system, by asking a licensed plumber to inspect it.

 

Discolored water/odor in the water

NextEra Water is committed to providing our customers with clean, reliable water. If we are performing maintenance on our system that will impact your water’s odor, color or quality we will notify you before we begin the maintenance.

If you haven’t received a notification from NextEra Water and your water is discolored or has an unusual odor:

  • Run your faucet for five minutes. The odor and color should disappear. If it does, the problem is in your household plumbing system. Consider calling a licensed plumber to check your pipes for corrosion.
  • If the odor and color doesn’t disappear, contact NextEra Water at 866-NEW-WATR.