Hydrant Flushing Program

Overview

Our hydrant flushing program is an annual event performed every spring to help us deliver the safest and highest quality water possible.  If hydrant maintenance and flushing is taking place in your neighborhood, you may experience discolored water as we increase the velocities and change the flow directions in our water distribution system. You may also experience some minimal disturbance in your landscaping, bark dust, etc, depending on the fire hydrant location. If you experience discolored water, rest assured that the water is safe to drink and that the color in the water should clear up by running the cold water faucet for few minutes.

To view the area of operations in order to see if your home will be affected, please click the button below.

Why is the hydrant flushing program important to our water system?

• It flushes sediments from mainline pipes (which enhances water quality)
• It verifies the proper operation of fire hydrants and valves
• It helps us find weaknesses in our water system
• It checks for closed valves and weak flows in the mainlines

We schedule our flushing program during the wetter months when water supplies are more plentiful. We flush from larger mains first, and then move to smaller mains. The flushing route is carefully planned, and valves are opened and closed to control the direction of the water.

If you have any further questions please call (503) 625-5722.

Frequently Asked Questions