06-01-2011 Water main flushing to begin June 6

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O� 11,013 T$.& 4 PEACE r r _. 1865 Office of the Mayor NEWS RELEASE Wednesday,June 1, 2011 1:30 PM Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director, Communications& Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876- 1564, or David Tungate, Director, South Bend Water Works, 235-5922 Water main flushing to begin June 6 South Bend Water Works has announced that the 2011 water main flushing program will begin at 6:30 a.m. Monday, June 6 (see map below, for details). The "day-time" flushing program will run Mondays through Fridays, for approximately 90 days or until it is completed. The flushing program is designed to systematically move through the city's distribution system to ensure the best water quality for our customers. The program will begin in the Northeast quadrant and will move in a clockwise pattern around the city. "A water main flushing program is an important part of the operation and maintenance of a water distribution system," said David Tungate, Director of South Bend Water Works. "The water may be temporarily discolored, but it should clear up after we are out of the immediate area. Our water quality exceeds the standards for local, state and federal safe drinking water regulations." Water main flushing is a standard water utility operation and maintenance procedure. South Bend Water Works maintains more than 576 miles of water mains and 5,500 fire hydrants throughout their water distribution system. The flushing program has two goals: • To remove unwanted iron and manganese sediment from the water mains. • To verify the proper operation of fire hydrants. "We average 14 million gallons a day in the winter and it is not unusual for us to pump over 30 million gallons a day in the summer," Tungate said. "Right now we are in a transition period between the two seasonal pumping demands." -more-