Why do you sometimes open a hydrant and let the water run out? Isn’t that a waste of good water?

It’s called “flushing” and it’s an important step in keeping your water clean and pure. We “flush” all water mains at least once a year as part of our Comprehensive Flushing Program to maintain water quality in the distribution system and to remove sediment that accumulates in water mains. Flushing also helps to maximize the effects of corrosion control inhibitors that are added to the water, which prevents the corrosion and deterioration of the water mains. And, flushing enables us to maintain flow characteristics within the water system, which helps maximize fire flows throughout the system.

Easton Suburban Water Authority uses Uni-Directional Flushing to isolate sections of the water system by closing valves. That section of the water system is then flushed using fire hydrants and “blow-off” assemblies -- subsurface hydrants installed where fire hydrants are not located, particularly in cul-de-sacs. We also flush sections of the water system occasionally in response to customer complaints or other issues that may arise.

When we perform Comprehensive Flushing, we notify customers by mail which areas will be flushed and when the flushing is scheduled. We also use a message system that is updated on a daily basis to inform customers of what areas will be flushed on each day. The message system can be reached by calling 610-258-8288. The message will be updated by 4 p.m. for the following business day.

When the Authority needs to flush a section of the water system for an unforeseen reason, the flushing is performed as soon as possible, and notice is only given to critical customers that will be affected. When possible, this type of flushing is performed at night (normally between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.) to minimize the impact on customers in the affected area.