Hydrant flushing is a technique used across the country to maintain water quality and clean the pipes that deliver water to homes and businesses. In unfiltered water systems, such as Fairview’s, sediment and other organic material accumulate at the bottom of the water mains. This material can impact water quality at your tap if it is stirred up. When we flush hydrants, we flush the material out and bring fresh water into the mains.
Water used during flushing is doing important work. While it may look wasteful, the flushing technique we use is an efficient and necessary use of water to maintain the integrity of the pipes and ensure excellent water quality. Similar to how we brush our teeth every day, Public Works cleans the inside of our water mains on a routine basis. It’s an essential part of, and a planned investment in, maintaining the health of our water system.
Using hydrant flushing, we are currently on track to clean the entire city’s water mains in an 8 week schedule. Our flushing will begin Tuesday, May 9th and end on the week of June 26th.
Flushing usually doesn’t affect Fairview residents as they’re going about their day. If you see flushing crews working in your area, please drive carefully and treat them like any other road construction crew.
Learn more: Fairview's Flushing Program