City Water crews will begin the annual fire hydrant flushing program tonight – May 30.
The program is expected to finish the week of July 4. Crews will flush hydrants Sunday through Thursday, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. This schedule is followed to minimize the inconvenience to our customers and allow the water to stabilize in the mains before the normal daily water demand occurs.
Flushing hydrants and water mains provides several benefits to our water system’s users. Regular flushing allows the highest quality of water to be delivered to our customers. It also allows our crews to verify operation of the water distribution system and identify areas that require repair and/or maintenance. This also ensures that fire hydrants are ready for use should the Fire Department need them.
The flushing process often results in cloudy or discolored water. We do what we can to limit this, and the safety of the water is not diminished by this process. A schedule and map of our planned flushing program is available on our website, www.battlecreekmi.gov. Check out the City Spotlight section at the bottom of the home page. The Water Division will update the schedule regularly, posting maps of the daily work.
While the flushing crew is working in your area, please be observant of your water quality while doing laundry or other tasks that require rust-free water. Discolored or rusty water may be present in the area being flushed, as well as in adjacent areas. If you should encounter discolored water, we recommend that you run water at cold taps within your home or business.