People still without water from Arctic freeze; some plumbers receive 500 calls

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Days after the hard freeze first hit Central Texas, some are still without running water. Jeri Lindell was one of those people.

She's going on three days without water because her home flooded when water pipes burst.

"Sweeping water and putting kitty litter out then moving the stuff out," Lindell said.

Now her rugs are drying outside next to her washer and dryer on the patio.

The master plumber at The Plumbinator, Mickey Womack, said this weekend they received 500 calls for broken water pipes.

He said repairs could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few months depending on the extent of the damage and if they're able to get parts. Womack said that was difficult the holiday weekend.

"Home Depot and Lowe's were closed because of the Christmas holiday. And you can't get nothing. Even they're having a hard time getting stuff in. We're still having a hard time getting stuff," Womack said.

For Lindell, this weekend has been quite the headache sweeping out water in freezing temperatures. But she said she's making the most of the situation spending quality time with her daughter while she waits for the water to turn back on.

"Her husband is hunting so we'll have the house to ourselves. Grandkids are all gone," Lindell said.

Austin Fire Department reported a total of 730 weather-related calls over the weekend with a majority of them on Saturday.