As warmer temperatures return, it’s possible we could see some water line breaks.

This could happen with city water lines or at your house after the hard freeze and winter storm this week.

Regina LeBlanc with Oklahoma Disaster Restoration told KRMG there are a few things to do, and things to watch for, as temps rise.

If you still have a frozen pipe in your home, LeBlanc says to open the faucet connected to that water line.

“As it’s unfreezing, that water is going to expand and that is where we get that pipe break, so it needs somewhere to go.” LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc said you can use a hair dryer or space heater to help thaw the pipe if necessary, but she said you shouldn’t leave those items running without supervision.

A common issue at homes, LeBlanc said, is outdoor water spigots freezing and breaking without the homeowner knowing about it until the next time you use it.

“You use the outside spigot, notice that the water pressure is just a little low, what you don’t realize is it’s burst inside the wall and it’s flooding your house.” LeBlanc added.

She said homeowners should watch for low water pressure and listen for running water as the weather warms up as those could be other signs of a break.

The City of Tulsa said it’s common to see frozen water meters, frozen property lines or service line breaks during hard freezes as well. Problems can arise when there’s a drastic warmup, according to Josh Bilby in the city’s water and sewer department.

“That can cause things like the ground to shift.” Bilby said. “The clay soils that we have here that can shrink and expand, some of our older cast iron pipes... they’re more of a rigid pipe, so they can cause those issues and cause us to see more water line breaks.”

Both Bilby and LeBlanc said it’s a good idea for everyone in the household to know where your main shut off valve is just in case there is a break.