Spring Water Main Flushing Season Begins
Each spring we clean our water mains with our spring flushing program. We open all fire hydrants to let them flow freely to clean the water mains.
Our spring flushing program has many benefits. The practice helps us ensure high-quality water at all points throughout our system. We add free chlorine instead of chloramines to help clean the pipes.
The flushing program also lets us know that our hydrants are working properly and helps us identify hydrants that need maintenance or painting.
You can read more about chlorine at www.fairfaxwater.org/current/free_chlorine.htm.
This program will not affect your water service but you may notice some slight changes in your water. It might taste or smell more like chlorine. Don’t worry, though. This water is safe to drink. To reduce the smell or taste of chlorine, keep a pitcher or other open container of drinking water in your refrigerator. This will allow the chlorine to dissipate. Be sure to change this water weekly.
If you have an aquarium or pond, always test the water you add to it to make sure that it does not contain chlorine. Also test aquarium or pond water before adding fish, plants or other animals that could be harmed by chlorine.