What is Flushing?

What is Flushing?

We "flush" all water mains at least once a year as part of our Comprehensive Flushing Program to maintain water quality in the distribution system and to remove sediment that accumulates in water mains. Flushing also helps to maximize the effects of corrosion control inhibitors that are added to the water, which prevents the corrosion and deterioration of the water mains. And, flushing enables us to maintain flow characteristics within the water system, which helps maximize fire flows throughout the system.

Easton Suburban Water Authority uses Uni-Directional Flushing to isolate sections of the water system by closing valves. That section of the water system is then flushed using fire hydrants and "blow-off" assemblies -- subsurface hydrants installed where fire hydrants are not located, particularly in cul-de-sacs. We also flush sections of the water system occasionally in response to customer complaints or other issues that may arise.

When we perform Comprehensive Flushing of the water system, we notify customers by our reverse telephone system with a general schedule of when that section of the water system will be flushed. We then publish the daily flushing schedule on our telephone system and website each day by 4:00pm so that customers in that section can find out exactly what days we will be flushing their streets. The telephone system message can be reached by calling 610.258.7181. See the current flushing schedule by clicking here.

Flushing Notification

When we perform Comprehensive Flushing, we notify customers by mail which areas will be flushed and when the flushing is scheduled. We also use a message system that is updated on a daily basis to inform customers of what areas will be flushed each day. The message system can be reached by calling 610-258-7181. The message will be updated by 4 p.m. for the following business day. Click on the link to review our current flushing schedule.

Emergency Flushing

When we need to flush a section of the water system for an unforeseen reason, we do it as soon as possible, and typically we only notify our Critical Care customers who depend on water for the operation of life support systems. When possible, we do this type of flushing at night, normally between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., to minimize the impact on customers in the affected area.