Flushing Lines
Flushing Domestic Lines and Fire Hydrants:
For public safety reasons, it is necessary to “flow test” all the fire hydrants from time to time. When these tests are being conducted, the water in the main lines may change direction of flow, and will certainly be moving through the pipes at higher than normal velocities. This may stir up the sediments in the pipes and cause some cloudiness in the water.
There may be some discoloration in your domestic water. The light tan color that may be present in the domestic water system following the testing is called “floc”, which is inert, and not a health hazard. The microscopic particles that passed through the Filter Plant years ago remain in the bottom of some of the pipes in the system. To remove this floc, we suggest turning on a cold water faucet at the lowest point in your home to flush the water system for approximately 5-10 minutes to “clear the lines” to your residence or place of business. If that does not clear your lines, please wait between 30-60 minutes and repeat flushing your lines.
To minimize the impact on the system, the L.O.I.D. is conducting these tests at night. This will allow the system time to settle the sediment before higher usage rates that occur each morning. Washing laundry is discouraged when the water is discolored. The floc particles are so small that they may become embedded in the fibers of the material.
