Above: The DPW shared the schedule for hydrant flushing across town scheduled to begin April 24th.
Every spring, Southborough “flushes” is fire hydrants for maintenance. The work is slated to take place from Monday, April 24th through Friday the 28th between 7:30 am and 4:00 pm. (Though weather or unforseen issues could shift dates further out, extending into the following week.)
The Dept. of Public Works has provided a map of the planned schedule for when they will be in different parts of town. (See image right, or click here for a pdf with the streets listed.)
To check for any updates to the schedule over the next week, click here.
When Public Works flushes hydrants in your neck of the woods, you may experience a drop in water pressure and/or notice discolored tap water.
In a previous year, the former DPW Superintendent Karen Galligan explained that running hot water might pull sediment into your hot water tank. That’s why to avoid it. You should also avoid doing laundry because it can stain your clothes.
This year’s announcement on the DPW website includes:
The discoloration of the water is only temporary and does not indicate a problem with the water. If your water does become discolored run your COLD WATER ONLY for a period of time and it should clear up.
Running a faucet or spigot closest to your meter is the best choice. High flow faucets such as an outside spigot or a bath tub faucet are also good choices.
Details from a past year also included the following details:
The water should run clear in 10-20 minutes, unless your service is very long, then it may take longer.
If you have aerators on your faucets you might want to rinse them out in case the screen caught any debris. If your hot water is discolored, it means that you pulled the sediment into the water tank. You should flush out your service with the cold water faucets and then, when you are sure you have purged the pipes in your home and everything is running clear, you should run your hot water and try to clear that up.
If you have any questions or concerns, call the DPW at 508-485-1210.
