HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-01-2011 Water main flushing to begin June 6 O� 11,013 T$.&
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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."
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The first area to be flushed will be bounded by: Michigan Street on the west(north of the
river) and Miami Street on the west(south of the river), Logan Street on the east, Ewing
on the south, and Douglas Road on the north (including Generations Drive area). Crews
will start in the center of the northeast quadrant near the Edison Filtration Plant and will
systematically work their way through the quadrant. The flushing is expected to take
approximately 30 days to complete, in the northeast area. Crews will then move on to the
southeast quadrant and continue clockwise around the city, over the course of the
summer.
Once the flushing crews have moved from the immediate area, some customers may still
have discolored water in their service lines. This can be eliminated by using a"3 by 7"
flush: simultaneously opening three cold water taps and letting the water run for 7
minutes.
Interviews:
Dave Tungate, Director of Water Works is available,today, to answer any questions or to
further explain this important, Clean City program. On Thursday, Bob Krol at 235-5660
will be available for interviews.
South Bend Residential Flushing Program, 2011
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