With extreme temperatures forecast here in the Raleigh area, it’s important to take steps to protect your home from the damage that can be caused by water pipes freezing and bursting.

• Close your crawlspace vents or cover them with cardboard.
• Disconnect your outdoor water hoses and cover the faucets.
• Keep your kitchen and bathroom sink faucets dripping overnight.
• Keep the cabinets under your sinks open.
• Turn on a faucet or two and flush the toilet in the middle of the night.
• Empty the ice in your freezer so your ice maker keeps your water pipes busy.

Are you inspired by our current cold snap to do some spring cleaning around your house so that you’ll have plenty of time for outside activities when our temperatures return to normal? Don’t forget the medicine cabinet! And instead of just throwing unneeded or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications in your trash, where they can end up in our drinking water, bring them on Saturday, April 23rd to one of the four Raleigh pharmacies participating in the City of Raleigh’s Medication Drop-Off Event.

• Blue Ridge Pharmacy – 2601 Blue Ridge Road
• Falls River Pharmacy – 10930 Raven Ridge Road
• Hayes-Barton Pharmacy – 2000 Fairview Road
• Josef’s Pharmacy – 2100 New Bern Avenue