Frozen pipes cause problems in Philly home, NJ nursing home

GERMANTOWN (WPVI) -- Frozen pipes in Germantown and Voorhees cause problems for residents, including a nursing home.

We spoke to a family Monday, who has been without heat for most of the day. They say they've also been on the phone all day and they're still waiting for the heat to come back on.

Victoria Collins said, "We turned the water on and we realized that we didn't have any water. So the fact that we have a water boiler for a heater - that was a big concern. I figured maybe the pipes had frozen."

This mother of two from Germantown in Philadelphia is cold, and bundled up. Her house was about 53 degrees when we stopped by.

She says she noticed something was wrong around 10:30 this morning.

She says calls to several plumbers were fruitless, all saying it would be days before she'd get service because of high demand.

Calls to the city water department weren't much help either. A representative from the Philadelphia water department told us they've been inundated with calls like this.

But we were also told: pipes are the homeowners' responsibility and there's not much the water department can do.

In Voorhees, New Jersey, Emergency crews responded to the Brookdale Voorhees Assisted Living facility, where a pipe burst in the sprinkler system

Contractors were called out and while residents were evacuated to a different part of the building, officials say they did not have to leave the premises.

Officials also say they get calls like this all the time in this weather.

Voorhees Twp. Fire Dept. Captain Jim Arpino said, "Obviously it's very cold out, we're in an arctic blast, pipes crack, water floods out.

The Philadelphia Water Department has a list of tips on what to do to prevent pipes from freezing or what to do if you think your pipes are frozen.

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