Rep. Chip Roy calls on plumbers to help Texas as pipes freeze, burst due to extreme weather

February 21, 2021 KT1 US 0

TOPSHOT - A Waco, Texas, resident clears snow from his driveway alongside his dog on February 17, 2021 as severe winter weather conditions over the last few days has forced road closures and power outages over the state. - Millions of people were still without power on February 17 in Texas, the oil and gas capital of the United States, and facing water shortages as an unusual winter storm pummeled the southeastern part of country. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a winter storm warning for a swathe of the country ranging from east Texas to the East Coast state of Maryland. (Photo by Matthew Busch / AFP) (Photo by MATTHEW BUSCH/AFP via Getty Images)

TOPSHOT – A Waco, Texas resident cleared snow from his driveway on February 17, 2021 as severe winter weather conditions forced road closures and power outages over the state. (Photo by MATTHEW BUSCH/AFP via Getty Images)

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Freezing conditions have caused pipes to explode all over Texas, creating a water shortage. In an interview on Saturday, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) called on plumbers near Texas for help, as state licensing requirements have been waived by the governor.

The Republican told potential plumbers “we’re going to need you and you’ll be put to work.” He explained the energy crisis started when half of the state’s turbines froze and temperatures disrupted natural gas flow.

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 12: Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) testifies before a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on "The Trump Administration's Child Separation Policy: Substantiated Allegations of Mistreatment." July 12, 2019 in Washington, DC. The hearing comes just ahead of a planned multi-day Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation to arrest thousands of undocumented immigrant families in several cities across the U.S. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 12: Rep. Chip Roy testified before a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on July 12, 2019 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The freezing conditions also caused water inside pipes to expand and burst.

“We really do desperately need water, generators, we’re going to need people to help and we’re going to need a lot of plumbers and plumbing supplies,” Roy said. “I mean, we are going to be inundated with plumbing work over the next two to three to four weeks across the state of Texas.”

Roy went on to urge the importance of winter-proofing the state’s energy infrastructure.