Dowagiac firefighters will be spend the next several weeks getting their feet wet, as the city flushes out local fire hydrants.

Last Wednesday, local firefighters began flushing out water from the 374 hydrants within city limits. Work is expected to take place intermittently now through July, as officials make their way to other fixtures as time and labor permits.

The work is performed annually by the city as a method of ejecting sediments, such as rust, iron and other materials, which may have settled in water mains during winter. By ejecting a large amount of water from the hydrants, crews will be able to dislodge settled deposits of residue from water lines.

“This process gets these sediments flushed out of the system, so you get better quality water to drink,” said Sue Watson, administrative assistant with the City of Dowagiac.

Firefighters will also check the flow of water coming out of the hydrants to ensure that they are in proper working order.

During this process, city residents may notice discoloration in their tap water. This is caused by sediments becoming dislodged through flushing, and may affect homes regardless of their
proximity to fire hydrants, Watson said.

To solve this problem, homeowners may drain their hot water heater and run their faucets between five to 10 minutes to flush out their pipes. Watson also recommended that residents clean out the aerators on their faucets, which may collect particles of any residue in the water.

During the flushing process, crews may have to shoot streams of water onto roadways. Drivers should be careful while coming down roads where the work is being done, as the water could obstruct their vision, Watson said.

While it may be tempting for children to want to play in the stream of water, parents are asked to keep youth away from hydrants during the process.

“The stream of water coming out of the hydrant is quite powerful,” Watson said. “People need to exercise caution whenever the crews are out there doing the work.”

For more information, people may contact the Dowagiac Department of Public Services at (269) 782-8200 or at dps_service_request@dowagiac.org.