Fire Hydrant Flushing

When customers see water flowing from a fire hydrant, they might think someone opened it by accident or it’s broken, but sometimes Louisville Water Company is flushing the hydrant on purpose.

Our water is the highest quality it can be when it leaves our treatment plants, but as water ages and moves through the distribution system, it can change over time. We are required by federal and state regulations to maintain chlorine disinfectant residual throughout the distribution system and to our customers’ taps.

By careful study and extensive water quality monitoring, we know the areas in the system that are prone to higher water age and lower chlorine residual. Our teams conduct activities such as hydrant flushing and tank draining to reduce and manage water age in those areas.

These activities happen more frequently in the summer as higher temperatures can cause water to degrade quicker. The department must also balance pressure and flow requirements while also maintaining the water quality.

Over the past several years, these flushing activities have increased and expanded into different areas. This is primarily due to customers using less water for a variety of reasons such as high efficiency appliances and reduced irrigation demands.

To some, flushing may seem like a waste of water, but it is necessary to ensure the highest quality water reaches the customers’ tap.

To make sure that customers know which sites are being monitored, a Water Quality Flushing tag or yard sign is posted at all sites Louisville Water is managing. Louisville Water asks that customers do not tamper with, adjust, or turn off any hydrant or other apparatus that is flushing.

If the flushing is causing a safety issue or property damage, customers can call (502) 569-3676.