03-23-2007 Water main flushing to begin March 26 on east side

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o�sou Tx F dx :J b W eFacE � � y� a 1, a2 1865 Office of the Mayor NEWS RELEASE Friday, March 23, 2007 9:00 AM Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876- 1564, or David Tungate, South Bend Water Works deputy director, 235-5922 Water main flushing to begin March 26 on east side South Bend Water Works will begin its 2007 water main flushing program at 9 p.m. Monday, March 26, starting on South Bend's east side. One crew will work from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. followed by a second crew from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. until March 30. The program will continue until April 13 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program is designed to systematically move through the water system to get the best water quality to customers. "We are flushing our water mains to avoid additional discolored water concerns in the east side of our water system," said David Tungate, deputy director of South Bend Water Works. "The water may be temporarily discolored, but it is safe to consume. Our water exceeds the local, state and federal drinking water regulations." Discolored water is caused by an increase in water demand, usually attributed to warmer temperatures. There is a significant difference in the amount of water the city pumps between the summer and winter months. "We averaged 14 million gallons a day this winter and it is not unusual for us to pump over 35 million gallons a day in the summer," Tungate said. "Right now we are in a transition period between the two seasonal pumping demands." Flushing is a standard operation and maintenance procedure for the South Bend Water Works, which maintains more than 546 miles of water mains throughout the South Bend area The flushing program has two goals: • To remove unwanted iron and manganese sediment from the main. • To verify the proper operation of fire hydrants.