Experts say leaving the faucet to drip or trickle during cold weather can prevent freezing. And, if the pipe does freeze, it can help relieve some of the pressure.
But in Houston, where residents have been hit hard this week by a statewide power outage and freezing temperatures, the Public Works department put out a notice not to leave faucets running. "Houston’s water system is different than other systems in that we don’t use water towers to provide pressure to the system.
We use ground storage tanks & pumps. Dripping the system can stress pumps and cause system-wide pressure issues, & possibly lead to a boil water notice," the statement read.