Hydrant Flushing

Fire Hydrant Maintenance

To our valued customers,

The Milford Water Department strives to ensure that all of Milford's fire hydrants are in good working order at all times.  It would be unacceptable in the event that ANY part of our water system should fail to work properly at any time!

Flushing fire hydrants twice a year (Spring and Fall) may, at first glance, seem like a waste of water, but there are a number of things taking place during this exercise.  We hope an explanation helps to ease any concerns you may have.  Flushing every 6 months helps maintain water quality throughout the distribution system.  During the Spring flush we inspect each hydrant to ensure it was not damaged during the winter months. On occasion a hydrant is struck by a vehicle or a plow and is damaged below ground or may have been used and the water was not pumped out causing freeze damage. Inspectors will schedule repairs in a timely manner.  During the Fall flush, each hydrant is rechecked and any necessary repairs are made before winter sets in.

While flushing hydrants near your home, you can expect to see a temporary discoloration of the water in your home.  High velocity flows scour rust particles from the inside of the water mains.  While most of the rust is flushed from the pipes, a small amount will remain suspended in the water.  This rust is harmless and the water may be safely consumed.  The discoloration will dissipate quickly.  After we have finished flushing in your area, run your cold water faucet to flush out the service line to your house.

A word of caution:  Rust will stain light colored laundry.  Once hydrant flushing is done in your neighborhood, please be sure that both your hot and cold water are rust-free before running your washer.  In the event that such staining occurs, there is a remedy.  Most grocery and hardware stores carry laundry aids which remove rust stains.

Thank you for your patience,
Town of Milford Water Utilities Staff