WEST NEWBURY − The West Newbury Water Department will begin its spring hydrant flushing on Friday night, April 17th. The process will start at 8:00pm with hydrants along Main Street from the Groveland town line to the Newburyport town line. Flushing will continue through 5:00am on Saturday morning. April 16 th we will be closing valves to prepare for flushing.
On Tuesday, April 21th, daytime flushing will commence on secondary roads and continue through Friday, May 1st from 9:00am to 3:00pm.
At this time hydrants on roads south of Main Street are scheduled to be flushed April 20th – 24th and hydrants on roads north of Main Street are scheduled to be flushed April 27th- May 1st.
Flushing hydrants will cause the water to become discolored as sediment is removed from the water system and property owners may experience intervals of low water pressure as well. If you have discolored water, wait until flushing is completed in your area and at a minimum wait 15-minutes and then run the cold-water faucet until the water runs clear.
Do not run the hot water, as discolored water can be pulled into your hot water tank and take longer to clear up.
Before doing laundry, residents are advised to run the cold water to make sure it runs clear. Try to avoid using bleach whenever possible, as it may cause the iron and manganese to permanently stain clothes.
If clothing is stained after washing, DO NOT MACHINE DRY.
There are products available, free of charge, in the Water Department office that will help take the stain out during re-washing or you can purchase the product at most grocery and hardware stores. The product would have a name like Iron Out or Rust-B-Gone. Officials recommend that homeowners refrain from washing laundry after 8:00pm on Thursday, April 16th through the late afternoon on Saturday, April 18th.
Starting on Tuesday, April 20th, residents should only plan on washing laundry during the evening hours, after 6:00pm when flushing is not scheduled. Continue to wash laundry in the evening until Friday, May 1st and when flushing will be completed.
Please note that hydrant flushing takes place twice a year in West Newbury during the months of April and October.
The Water Department appreciates your cooperation during this period.
If you have any questions please contact the water department at (978)363-1100 ext. 1127.
