Tuesday November 27, 2012

On Thursday, December 6, 2012 the City of Napa Water Division will begin the annual Unidirectional Hydrant Flushing Program. Through March 2013, flushing will take place in portions of northern Napa, Browns Valley, Alta Heights, Soscol Gateway, Napa Valley Corporate Park and Silverado Country Club. To help keep the public up-to-date on our progress. The flushing program maps and updates can be found at www.cityofnapa.org/water Hydrant flushing is a periodic maintenance activity to clean and flush the City water mains. Fire hydrants are opened to move a large volume of water at a higher than normal velocity, mobilizing particles and minerals that have settled and flushing them out of the system. This helps the City maintain the highest quality of water in the public water system. 

Because the flushing stirs up particles and minerals, it may cause periods of discolored water and reduced water pressure in areas where flushing is being conducted. The water will remain safe to use and generally clears within a few hours. Residents should monitor their water prior to starting laundry, especially when washing white clothes.

Commercial customers, especially businesses that serve the public, should be aware of the water quality while flushing is taking place in their area.

Flushing operations may also activate low-pressure alarms on automatic fire sprinkler systems due to temporary reductions in water.

Dechlorination tablets are used to remove chlorine in the water before it goes into the storm drain system and eventually into the Napa River. Due to the high volume of water flowing from the hydrants, the dechlorination tablets may cause some bubbling of the water, giving it a soapy appearance. The tablets are environmentally safe and are used to protect the river.

Since it is difficult to determine the exact day of flushing in a given area, the Water Division will update the City’s website daily to provide a map of the region being flushed each day and a map of the region that will be flushed next,
Contact the City of Napa Water Division at (707) 257 9521 with any questions or concerns.