Spring Flushing Program
- April 10th 2022
- Utilities
- Sanford Water District
Press Release
The Sanford Water District will start its spring flushing program at 10 PM, Sunday, April 10 and continue through May. Flushing the water mains improves water quality by removing sediment that slowly builds up at the bottom of the water main over time. The sediment primarily comes from natural iron content in the water that settles out in the distribution system. It can also sometimes be from internal corrosion (tuberculation) of the water mains over many years.
Flushing will happen between 10 PM and 5 AM to minimize impacts to customers. Whenever the District opens a hydrant for flushing, a District vehicle or traffic cones will be located next to any hydrant. Sanford Dispatch is notified of the flushing locations each night. The District leaves the hydrants open until the water runs clear.
The areas scheduled to be flushed each week are published on the Sanford Water District website, http://www.sanfordwater.org/flushing, and is updated as the program progresses.
After water main cleaning, customers may experience discolored water but this should not last long. If water is discolored after a flushing program in their area, turn on a cold tap for only a few minutes.
The District opens hydrants throughout the city every spring and fall to flush the distribution system of any iron buildup in the water mains. The flushing program also verifies proper operation of hydrants and evaluates fire flows (a specified duration necessary to control a major fire) throughout the transmission and distribution system. The District performs unidirectional flushing, which isolates each pipeline and forces flow at a high speed in a single direction to quickly and efficiently clean the pipe. This process also allows the District to verify that isolation valves in the distribution system are working properly.
For more information about the flushing program, please call the Sanford Water District office at (207) 324-2312 or visit http://www.sanfordwater.org/flushing. Please check the website for weekly updates.
