Starting approximately Monday March 25, 2024 – Friday, May 3, 2024 weather permitting, Hiawatha Water Department will be flushing hydrants.
If the Residents of Hiawatha notice the Water crew working at fire hydrants and see water running into the street, you may think that the Department is ignoring its philosophy on conserving water. The process of periodically “flushing” fire hydrants, however, is an important preventive maintenance activity. Although it may appear to waste water, this process is part of a routine maintenance program necessary to maintain the integrity of the water system and to continue to deliver the highest quality water possible to our customers.
Flushing the water system on a routine basis removes sediment from lines and keeps the entire distribution system refreshed. Hiawatha Water Department maintains over 40 miles of domestic water lines throughout the City.
As a result of the flushing procedure, residents in the immediate vicinity experience temporary discoloration of their water. This discoloration consists primarily of harmless silt or deposits and does not affect the safety of the water. The water is still drinkable. If you experience discoloration in your water after crews have been flushing in your neighborhood, clear the pipes in your own home by running all water faucets for a minute or two. We also advise postponing doing your laundry until all internal pipes have been cleared.
This same philosophy of water line preventive maintenance is one that you should use in your own home. Your home’s water heater should be drained and flushed at least once a year to keep it working efficiently and to protect the quality of water inside your home. Also, if you go out of town and there is no water use in your home for a week or more, when you return it’s always a good idea to run all your faucets for a minute or so before using the water. This ensures that you don’t use any stagnant water that may have developed in your home’s pipes while you were away.
We would like to remind customers who are not regularly occupying their space to please be sure to stop by from time to time to flush the water lines. This is to ensure the water does not get stagnate which can create water quality issues such as taste, odor, and loss of bacterial control. By flushing the water lines regularly in an unused facility, the water will continue to maintain its quality.