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Hydrant Flow Testing
The St. Joseph Fire Department and/or the St. Joseph Water Department
periodically flow fire hydrants to check the function of the hydrants,
to evaluate the firefighting water available from each hydrant, to
monitor the condition of the water system, and to remove rust and other
sediment from the water distribution system. Once a hydrant are flowed,
the hydrant caps are painted colors that indicate how much water is
available from that hydrant. Green indicates 1000 gallons per minute or
more; orange indicates 500-1000 gallons per minute; red indicates
100-500 gallons per minute; and black indicates less than 100 gallons
per minute. Typically, 400 gallons per minute is considered a
sufficient water supply to fight a fire at a single-family home.
Hydrant flushing sometimes stirs up sediment in the water lines and
results in temporarily brown or "rusty" water in nearby homes and
businesses. You can reduce your chances of having rusty water by
minimizing your water use if you know hydrant flushing is taking place
in your area. You should particularly avoid washing clothes until the
flushing is complete and you have made sure you have flushed any rusty
water out of your home plumbing.
If you should have a problem with rusty water, you can flush the rusty
water out of your pipes by fully opening a faucet and running cold water
until the water runs clear. You may have to open each of your faucets
in turn, to remove all of the rusty water from your system. You should
open the faucets one at a time, to ensure the maximum water flow to the
open faucet. (If you know the plumbing layout of your home, it is most
efficient to flow the faucet closest to the public water supply first,
then work your way toward the faucet located farthest from the public
water supply.) After flowing the faucets, you may wish to remove and
check any mesh strainers on your faucets to remove any debris that may
be trapped. You may also wish to run water through showers, toilets,
and even run an empty washer cycle just to make sure you have cleared
any rusty water from your pipes.
If you detect a problem with rusty water, you should not wash your
laundry until you have cleared the rusty water from your system. If
your laundry does become discolored, you should wash it again
immediately--do not dry it first! Drying it will make the rust
difficult or impossible to remove! Also, do not use a chlorine bleach
with rust-stained laundry; the chlorine reacts with the rust and just
makes the problem worse! More information on tackling rust stains in
clothing is available on the following web site:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5539.html.
Please understand that rusty water is not an unusual side effect from a
hydrant flushing program, and does not indicate any sort of problem with
the water system. The rust results from a reaction between the chlorine
in the water, and iron in the pipes. The chlorine keeps the water safe
to drink (although we don't recommend drinking the rusty water!) If you
have any questions regarding rusty water, please call the Water Plant at
983-1240.
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