SAN ANTONIO β We've been talking a lot about the push to keep your power on during the upcoming winter. But what about your pipes?
SAWS is ready to dish out money to those who prepare ahead of winter through a first of its kind rebate program. It's called "Be Ready Rebate".
San Antonian, Crispina Castillo, remembers a loud boom during the big February freeze.
"We were like, 'What's going on?'" she recalled.
When she walked outside, she found water shooting out of the pipes in her backyard.
"It was the hot, steaming water," she said. "The pipes had burst."
The plastic pipes connected to a house in the back of her property that would go without water for three months.
"Everybody that lived in the back property had to go to the front property in order to stay calm," said Castillo.
Since then, she installed a cutoff switch in the boiler room and laid new pipes.
"When the winter comes again, we're going to have to actually recover [the pipes]," she said. "You know, to try to avoid them bursting again."
What Castillo is doing could save you money.
SAWS is now offering $75 rebates to customers who prepare their pipes for winter.
"As we learned last year, it can get awfully cold in San Antonio. It can change so quickly. When it is going to get cold, that night is not the best time to start thinking about what your risks are and what you need to insulate," explained Karen Guz, Conservation Director for San Antonio Water System (SAWS).
The Be Ready Rebate program requires plumbers check your property for leaks and find opportunities to winterize plumbing.
"You're getting a chance to make sure nothing is leaking, which is adding to your water bill, and assessing any risks that could be there that might be easy to mitigate like insulating an exposed pipe," said Guz.
Before you welcome a plumber into your home, SAWS recommends getting price quotes ahead of time.
Checking your home for leaks is important, said Guz. She says many residents may not realize the way SAWS charges you for sewer is based on the water you use during the winter.
"So right now is a good time to make sure you're being careful about water use and that you don't have a dripping faucet or toilet that's running," said Guz. "If you do, that raises your sewer charges for the next year. That's a good reason to have a plumber visit."
The deadline to apply for the rebate program currently says December 20 on the program's web page. However, that deadline has now been extended until the last day of February.
SAWS customers who live in homes are eligible, renters included. If you follow proper steps for the rebate, you will get $75 added to your SAWS account.