Here's why fire hydrants around Minnesota are flushed
A sure sign of spring might be flowing outside your home starting Wednesday. Streets will be soaked, but it won't be thanks to Mother Nature — fire hydrants are getting flushed.
One by one, along just about every twist and turn in Columbia Heights, a few foremen are cranking away at a seasonal task that's a bit of a rush once it gets going.
"The guys have a good feel for what area and what pressure they're expecting to see," said Ben Lund, the city's utility superintendent.
There are a few reasons why fire hydrants are flushed. The first is water quality.
"Over time, sediment and minerals build up in the lines and high-speed flushing like this can help push those minerals and any sediment that's gathered out," Lund said.
A hydrant's pressure is significantly stronger than an at-home faucet, creating an intense blast of clearing power homeowners can't replicate.
"Running that much water in the main really gets everything moving in a direction, which will take everything with it," Lund said.
He adds fire safety plays a huge role in the annual task.
"We make sure we open and close the hydrant fully, do a full inspection on it, make sure everything is operational if there were an emergency," Lund said.
The hydrants are flushed for about three to five minutes or until the water runs clear. Crews are mainly looking for discoloration and pressure changes to determine if there's an issue with the hydrant or piping below.
The amount of water flowing out varies from hydrant to hydrant, but the range stretches from under 500 gallons per minute to as high as 1,500 gallons per minute, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Is flushing hydrants wasteful?
Lund said he understands concerns about flushing hydrants being wasteful, but argues it is worth it.
"The value that it brings from a safety perspective and from a water quality perspective, it's well worth the time and effort and money that it costs to do it," he said.
Homeowners may notice a fluctuation in water pressure, either up or down, when a nearby fire hydrant is being flushed. They might also experience discoloration in the water due to the sediment getting moved around.
"That's normal, we expect that," he said, adding that the water is safe to use and drink.
However, it's not ideal if you're doing laundry. Discolored water can stain clothes.
"If they do see discoloration of the water, running cold water in their house until that runs clear is what we recommend," he added.
Avoid running hot water and try to use the lowest level faucet in the house, such as a laundry sink in the basement.
The potential impact for homeowners is why Lund suggests people stay on top of their city's flushing schedule. Information can be found on a city's website and sometimes on its social media handles.
Flushing schedules vary from city to city and can take several weeks to complete. The task often wraps up by late May.
