As Austin braces itself for a frigid embrace, the city's Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) is shifting gears, pulling down the shutters on year-round pools and preparing for potential schedule shake-ups at its facilities amid the anticipated Arctic blast. Adapting to the icy forecast, PARD announced pool closures, with Barton Springs Pool slated to close by 6:00 p.m. Sunday, and will open on Monday and Tuesday starting at 11:00 a.m., according to a report by KXAN.
The city's golf courses are also taking a timeout to safeguard the turf, and the irrigation equipment, with re-opening at sustained temperatures above the freezing mark. Meanwhile, outdoor plumbing and fixtures will be offline until Mother Nature gives the all-clear and a thorough post-cold inspection finds them leak-and-damage-free.
As for Austin Water, they're not taking any chances this year to dodge a repeat of 2021's winter storm. "That means insulating or warming key components throughout the entire water treatment and distribution system," Jose Emperador with Austin Water hammered it home, as mentioned in a story by KVUE.
Officials recommend homeowners to locate the Austin Water's meter valve and their own property's valve, in case they need to turn them off. If there's a power outage for an extended encore beyond 24 hours, Austin Water advises to kill the water flow at their meter, disconnect any hoses, swaddle faucets in warm garb, ditch the sprinkler action, and open cabinets beneath kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warmer air inside the home to circulate around pipes.
