GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Reports are still pouring in of busted pipes causing massive messes in homes, offices and businesses. The pipe problems are putting folks, including 911 dispatchers, in a tough spot for the holidays, as residents and business owners face thousands of dollars in repairs
Many families are scrambling to find a fix after their pipes burst, leaving them with tons of water damage. One family of seven, which lives in the Villas at Duluth Apartments in Gwinnett County, said the entire apartment complex had been without water for three days because of a burst pipe.
They spent Christmas Eve cleaning up, after a burst pipe drenched their entire apartment.
“We just heard a really loud explosion," one family member told 11Alive. "We didn’t think anything of it. None of us did until very quickly we saw water coming through both of our rooms. Nothing like that has ever happened to us. It was really scary."
The apartment quickly became waterlogged, doing damage to the carpet, floors, furniture and other family keepsakes. The family said a ruptured pipe drenched their apartment despite them dripping their faucets. The burst of water was so strong, it made a hole in the wall.
Just outside the management office, a sign reads "all water shut down due to burst pipes." The Gwinnett County Fire Department eventually shut off water to the entire complex, and a neighbor cut off the electricity to prevent any other problems that could arise should the water mix with power sources.
11Alive saw crews working to restore the water and electricity Monday evening. The apartment complex management sent one viewer a text, saying there was no estimated time to have the pipes fixed and water service restored.
Bitter cold temperatures in the last few days have burst pipes in malls, homes and offices. Plumbing technician Rashad Patterson was on his eighth call of the day when he spoke with 11Alive. Patterson said he cut his Christmas vacation short to deal with call after call to repair pipes in metro Atlanta.
"Just in the last two days, I’ve gotten over 20 calls," Patterson said. “As you’re fixing someone’s problem, you have someone else waiting on you to fix their problem as well. I’m trying to be attentive to everyone, be dutiful and just try and serve my purpose and help everybody out as much as I can.”
Repairing these pipes can cost anywhere from $200 to $3,000 or more, according to Patterson, who said it's best to try preventative measures to keep pipes intact. He recommended having pipes insulated if possible. The plumbing technician with Plumbing to a Tee LLC also suggested getting familiar with shutoff valves, know what and where they are, and consider cutting the water off if spending ample time away from home during frigid conditions.
"It will get better. Yeah, it’s a catastrophe and it’s unexpected," Patterson said. "But that’s just the life of homeownership. I just try to uplift them as much as I can though.”
In the meantime, the family at the Villas at Duluth apartments is moving to another apartment in the same complex. They spent Christmas in a hotel visiting with other family, salvaging whatever presents they could from their waterlogged apartment. They told 11Alive they're working to stay positive despite the problems they're facing.
"We try to make the best of it," one family member said. "We were all together, helping one another and I think that’s what matters at the end. We were all together on Christmas.”