Pasco Plans Giant Water System Flush Starting Thursday

Think of it as a giant blast of water, scouring underground water pipes to ensure they are clean.

Starting Thursday August 25th, and continuing for several weekdays, neighborhoods will see crews opening fire hydrants and forcing high pressure water streams through central main water lines in various areas of the city.

Although this has been done for years across the country, the city will be using a new method called Unidirectional Flushing, or UDF.  This new method is faster, more powerful and wastes less water. So how will if affect neighborhoods?

City workers have been, and will continue to distribute door hangers and flyers in the neighborhoods as they move through the city neighborhood by neighborhood.

Between the hours of 8am and 3pm weekdays (not on weekends or holidays) crews will open certain fire hydrants, and close other valves, forcing powerful jets through the lines, scouring away any residual dirt or buildup.  This may result in temporary water pressure loss for just a few minutes, and some residents may see a slight brown tinge in water coming from their faucets.

This is not a health hazard in any way, say officials, just basically dirt. The water coming through the lines has already been treated for drinking. This process ensures the water quality will remain high. The more focused, shorter water blasts will clean the pipes faster and more efficiently, making outages much less lengthy.

If residents notice the tinge in water does not clear after just a few minutes, they are advised to call (509)-545-3463.