You simply won’t survive a water main break without these tips

It’s becoming a disturbing Los Angeles trend: water main breaks. It seems that we can’t go a week without news of another major pipe bursting, flooding city streets, disrupting neighborhoods and wasting thousands of gallons of precious water. From Westwood to Hollywood and Downtown LA, no area is safe from our city’s fragile, expiring pipes. The hazardous events are even more troubling given the very limited water supply our state is currently facing.

Unfortunately, these kinds of breaks are impossible to predict. The most residents can do is figure out how old their local pipes are, and hope for the best. However, as with the threat of earthquakes (something we’re all used to as well), we can go to lengths to prepare. To ensure that you stay safe during a water main break, check out these tips.

Alert your neighbors

You won’t know when or where you’ll be when a main breaks, but you can ensure that you, your family and your neighbors all know about it. Sometimes just spreading knowledge can be incredibly valuable, especially if nearby residents don’t yet know. Giving them a head’s up may provide the little bit of extra time they need to prepare their homes, or even evacuate if necessary. You might consider reaching out to your neighbors ahead of time, and organizing a list of everyone’s contact info if you don’t already have it. That way, you greatly reduce the risk of being caught off guard by flooding waters.

NEVER try to navigate the water

Maybe the most important piece of advice offered by law enforcement, safety experts, and even past victims of water main breaks is to never try to walk or drive through areas of flooded water. Often, the H2O is flowing at an immense pressure and although it may look navigable, you can easily be swept away by the tide. This applies not just to your home, but the streets as well. This summer when the main broke in Westwood, people became stranded in their cars. The best advice in that kind of situation is to wait it out until authorities arrive to help you along.

Move to higher ground

In the event that your home or street becomes flooded, you need to move up as fast as possible. For households, this means going up to the second floor, or if it’s safe, the attic or even roof. The idea is to get out of the way of the rushing water. Not only will it wallop you, it may be contaminated. After the flood is over, you’ll definitely want to call a plumber to inspect water damage in your home, if there is any. For a plumber that Bel Air can always rely on, call Hammer Plumbing and Drain. From Santa Monica to the areas adjacent to LA Dodger Stadium, we’ll identify any potentially damaged areas in the home, and can even help determine if your own water has become contaminated as a result of the water main break.