It’s not quite time for a summer heat wave, but plenty of fire hydrants will be opened in the coming weeks in Battle Ground.
The city is expected to start its semi-annual flushing of the water main line today, according to Public Works Director Scott Sawyer.
Every year and a half or so, Sawyer said the city opens several hydrants with a high-velocity flow to propel any sediments from the pipes, as well as to make sure the flow and pressure of the hydrants are up to standard.
“When we open up the hydrants at a high flow, it causes the water to become turbulent,” Sawyer said. “That stirs up any sediment that might’ve gotten into the pipe.”
The flushing program is expected to run until early June. While city officials won’t be opening up all 764 hydrants in Battle Ground, they will check at least one hydrant connected to each line in the city, Sawyer said.
As city officials run the flushing program, nearby homes and businesses might experience temporary discolored water during or following the flushing. The discoloration could be caused by naturally occurring iron (which will turn water to a red color) or manganese (black color) deposits being dislodged from the system. Sawyer said the discolored water isn’t a health risk, and to clear the water color, just run the faucet until the color disappears.
According to a release from the city, “it is also advised that your water is clear before doing laundry or other projects for which discolored water could cause a problem.”
More information is available at www.cityofbg.org/watermainflush.
