Burst pipes in Buford Highway apartments

The December 2022 reports from around metro Atlanta describe the pattern well: frozen sprinkler lines and supply pipes breaking, water coming through hallways, units and lobbies, and alarms going off. ^{[1] [4]} Those were reports from across the region rather than from any specific building on this corridor, but the 1960s and 1970s garden apartments along the highway share many of the exposed features involved. ^[2] A single line can affect many households at once, and most residents cannot shut it off themselves.

It helps to know beforehand what you can control. Most units have small valves under sinks and behind toilets, and some have a unit shutoff. A riser or building main is for staff. Ask your manager where these are and whom to call after hours. Save that number in your phone before the first cold night.

Exterior corridors and breezeways are the clearest risk: pipes and sprinkler branches near them have little protection in long cold. Walk the property in the autumn with someone who knows its systems, and mark every riser and valve. Decide what you will tell residents when a hard freeze is forecast, including dripping faucets and opening sink cabinets, in the languages your residents use. Ready.gov has basic winter guidance that can be adapted for this. ^[6] Vacant units need particular attention, since no one will notice a leak and the heat may be off.

Line up a plumber and a drying contractor before winter, knowing that demand can overwhelm everyone in a widespread event. Know what your insurer requires, and how a building-wide claim will be recorded unit by unit. After the event, restart water slowly, with staff posted on each floor, because a second split often shows up only when pressure returns.

During the 2022 freeze, water systems around the region reported low pressure and interruptions, and some jurisdictions issued advisories. If your water is out, look first for notices from management and the county, and report leaks at the meter box or in the street to Gwinnett dispatch. ^[3] Leave faucets closed if the supply is off, or you may be surprised by a running tap or an overflow when pressure returns. If an advisory is in effect, follow what it says about drinking and cooking water.

Shops have often closed for the night when the cold is worst, so a burst may run undiscovered until morning. On a forecast freeze, keep some heat on, open cabinets around sinks and leave a note of the shutoff and the landlord's number where staff can find it. Restaurants should also think about grease traps, floor drains and cooler compressors that may have been soaked. Tell your insurer as soon as you find the damage, and keep a written list of stock thrown away.

Once the pipe has been fixed, residents should be told when water will return, so that faucets left open do not flood an empty unit. When you go home, check under sinks and around the water heater closet, and look at ceilings for any new marks. Report new leaks right away, because restart is when hidden splits appear. Throw out food if the power has been off or if floodwater touched it. If mold or a musty smell develops within the next couple of weeks, let management know in writing. Keep your list of damaged belongings up to date, since people often notice losses later, and your renters insurer may accept additions. Owners should use the same period to record what failed, why it was exposed, and what will be changed before next winter. Insulating one breezeway run now is a modest task compared with drying a whole stack of apartments again. A short note to residents explaining the changes also builds some trust.