This notification is to inform you that community-wide hydrant flushing will be taking place from Dec 9th to Dec 12th (Tuesday – Friday), between the hours of 9 am to 4 pm.
Please do not use water in your homes for this short time period, as using the water during flushing may cause poor aesthetic quality water to enter your home. E.g. silt, colouration, etc. While this water is not harmful to your health, it is an unpleasant and avoidable circumstance in regards to water taste / use.
This is a planned annual maintenance procedure to maintain the good working condition of our drinking water distribution line.
Annual hydrant flushing is necessary to clear out the sediment and debris that naturally builds up in water distribution pipes over time. This is accomplished by strategically manipulating fire hydrants and valves to force water at high velocities through the system from previously flushed sections of pipe.
Flushing helps to improve water quality and increases the life of system components such as pressure reducing valves and line valves. Flushing also helps to identify weak or problem areas in the system, which can help avoid costly repairs.
After flushing in your neighborhood, you may experience a short and temporary period of low water pressure and/or discolored water. Although the water may appear, taste, or smell unpleasant, it is only an unfortunate aesthetic quality and is not harmful to human health. This is caused by the stirring up of organic particles and poses no threat. We maintain a chlorine residual in our systems that kills and inactivates any pathogens, as per regulation, keeping our water safe to drink.
If discoloration does occur, it can be remediated by running a cold water tap nearest to where the water line enters your home until the water runs clear. As well, tap or jug filters are also effective in helping remove the colour.
When it comes to the quality of the water as it pertains to human health, staff regularly sample water from the distribution system to ensure that water is safe for human consumption. This sampling practice is regulated by and reported to Fraser Health.
Thank you for your patience at this time, as we understand the great inconvenience this poses for homeowners and visitors alike. With ski season upon us, it’s important to complete this maintenance ahead of the busy season. Our team will strive to complete the procedure as quickly as possible to minimize the impact on residents.
The day of the flushes, we will send an email out to inform you that we will be starting the flush within a half hour, as well as an email to inform you that the flushing for the day has completed.
Thank you very much for bearing with us through this procedure as we strive to improve our infrastructure and systems.
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@hemlockvalleyutilities.com.
If you need to reach us more immediately, call us at the emergency line at (604) 314 – 7852.
