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  • October 20, 2020

    Fall water main flushing begins next week

    Fall water main flushing will begin Oct. 26 and continue through Nov. 13.

    Chandler Utilities flushes water mains over a three-week period twice a year. Flushing the water system by opening up fire hydrants allows us to remove mineral build-up and sediment from our water mains, as well as to ensure water quality throughout the system. Routine flushing is recommended by Federal and State agencies that regulate drinking water quality.Most customers will only be affected for one day during the flushing period.

     

    While our daily flushing schedule varies, the easiest way to find out when we’ll be in your area to flush is to sign up for our push notification system through REACH Alert, a free service. Updates throughout the flushing period will be sent out through the REACH Alert system to customers who have signed up for the push notification service; these alerts will be sent out daily to customers in the effected areas for the day’s flushing schedule. Find out more about the alert system and details for signing up here. Daily updates will also be available here on our website.

    On the day that flushing occurs in your area, we recommend you minimize water usage to avoid any issues. If you must use your water during the flushing period (typically 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), you may encounter:

    • Low water pressure – This will be temporary (typically no more than a couple of hours), but could be intermittent throughout the day. As the hydrants being flushed pull a higher volume of water than normal from the mains, the pressure drops for customers in the immediate area. If you have experienced a drop in pressure for an extended period of time, please call our Maintenance Facility at 812-925-6213 to ensure there isn’t another issue going on.
    • Rust-colored water – The discoloration is simply a build-up of naturally-occurring iron in the water that has settled in the mains between flushing periods; it is the same build-up that we are attempting to flush out of the system. The water is completely safe and still meets federal and state drinking water standards. Although safe, the discoloration can stain laundry, so it is best to clear out any discolored water from your plumbing lines before additional water use. To clear out your lines, we recommend you run COLD water through your bathtub until it runs clear; this can take up to 20 minutes. If you use hot water while there is discoloration, the discolored water may linger if it gets inside the water heater tank. The same is true if you use a water softening system; bypass your softener to avoid pulling the discolored water into your water softener tank.
    • A hammering noise in your pipes and or milky-looking water – In some instances, air can get into your lines when you turn on a faucet during water main flushing. If this happens, you may experience a hammering noise and/or sputtering, or water that appears cloudy or milky and clears up as it sets. To flush air out of your lines, turn on your cold water in all of your faucets until the water flows freely and/or runs clear; it may take several flushes to clear the line to your toilet.