The past few days’ extreme cold weather has put a strain on Colorado Springs’ plumbing, keeping the Colorado Springs Fire Department busy with calls as temperatures rise and water damage presents itself.

The CSFD said that crews had been called out to at least 25 burst water pipes or sprinkler heads, including one in the fire department’s headquarters, since Friday. CSFD spokesperson Ashley Franco said that crews were actively responding to six calls at the same time Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re just getting dispatched nonstop to these calls,” she said.

Franco said that water damage caused by expansion in freezing pipes can often not become a problem until temperatures rise and water melts enough to cause a leak. She said that the CSFD expected even more calls into Wednesday as the weather becomes milder.

“As soon as these temperatures start to warm up … we expect and prepare to get very busy,” she said.

The Fire Department’s main objective when responding to a water call is to look for structural damage, especially in a space like an apartment building where a burst pipe could compromise lower floors, Franco said. She said crews also try to clean up water damage with squeegees.

Soaring Eagles Community School in District 2 was one of the plumbing casualties this weekend. A email went out to parents Sunday warning that a water fire line burst, damaging five classrooms and several other rooms.

“We have Restoration Services specialists and experts on-site and have determined there is no way to hold school on Tuesday, January 16th,” the email said.

The school said it plans to reopen Wednesday.

Franco said that people experiencing a water damage emergency can call 911, though the department prefers that people use the CSFD nonemergency line to conserve resources. The CSFD nonemergency number is 719-444-7000.

Once the fire department has come out to turn off the water and assess the damage, fixing the burst pipe requires repairs. Ed Buss, owner of Always Plumbing and Heating in Colorado Springs, said he is getting calls “about every 15 minutes” for burst pipes in a variety of settings including commercial spaces, single-family homes, apartments and trailers.

He said that with temperatures still on the rise, people “might not even realize yet” that their pipe has burst.

“A lot of times people have to go to work and their pipes are still frozen, so they don’t know until they get back,” he said.

Buss said he planned on receiving a high quantity of calls for service into the week as problems presented themselves. He said that plumbing companies also received a backlog of requests that might mean longer wait times.

He said that once a pipe is burst, the main action to take is to turn off the water. For a frozen pipe, keeping the faucet on might help relieve pressure.

Franco said that despite safety tips like leaving cabinets open and faucets running, sometimes damage is unavoidable and unexpected.

“A lot of times, it’s a lot of water all at once,” she said.

A burst sprinkler system at the Colorado Springs Fire Department headquarters on Tuesday, Jan. 16. 

Courtesy of the Colorado Springs Fire Department