Your pipes in Clarksville, by the numbers

What does this shelf cover?

Everything between the meter and the ground under the house: cold, water from the river, the limestone below, the septic tank on rural lots, and the permits that govern repairs. Each page starts from one sourced figure. The table gathers them in one place.

Where do Clarksville pipes freeze?

In the cold, unheated places: crawlspaces, garages, outside walls and the spot where the service line enters through the foundation, as the American Red Cross lists them (Red Cross, archived copy). Sixteen nights a year reach 20°F or lower at the treatment-plant station, most of them in January (NOAA NCEI). The month-by-month count and the freeze dates are on freeze nights; the space under the floor gets its own page, crawlspace pipes. If you travel or move in winter, read leaving the house empty first.

Never thaw a pipe with a flame. A hair dryer, a heating pad or hot towels will do it, and a burst pipe means shutting the main water off first.

The Texas Department of Insurance clip below runs through a one-minute winter checklist, including alarms and space-heater cords.

Which pipes are yours to fix?

Everything after the meter. CGW leaves the service line between its meter and the house, and all plumbing indoors, to the property owner (CGW FAQ). Water lost on that stretch is billed; leaks on the meter shows how to catch it.

What else sits under a Clarksville house?

Water and rock. The Cumberland's flood stage at Clarksville is 46 feet, and February holds half of the gauge's top 12 crests; see Cumberland River high water. The county sits on limestone of the Highland Rim, where sinkholes form; see sinkholes and karst. Homes off the sewer system rely on a tank and drainfield permitted by the state; see septic in Montgomery County.

Who can do plumbing work here?

It depends on where you live. City residents cannot take out a plumbing permit themselves, so a licensed contractor must; out in the unincorporated county a homeowner can, by the county's own page. Ask the right office before the job starts. The rules and fees are on plumbing permits and licenses.