HWW: Hydrant Flushing/Testing Set for Approximately May 15-23

Between approximately May 15-23, Housatonic Water Works will be flushing fire hydrants as part of routine maintenance. Customers are urged to note the dates and to be aware of potential changes to water pressure and water color during this routine work.

Customers have been notified in their monthly bills of the upcoming flushing schedule. Questions or concerns should be directed to Housatonic Water Works, (413) 528-1780.

Here is the full notice from Housatonic Water Works:

Housatonic Water Works Company
Flushing/Hydrant Flow Testing Advisory May 15-23, 2023

Hydrant Flushing: Weekdays during May 15-23, 2023, we will be flushing our distribution system according to the schedule accompanying this notice. Every effort will be made to isolate disturbances to
the sections being flushed; however, we want to remind customers that other areas may be affected as an unintended consequence.

The Company follows a hydrant flushing sequence for hydrants and blow-offs throughout its system. This protocol has been followed for many years. The flushing is broken into three sections to effectively flush those sections of the system and minimize disruption to other parts of the system.

The main trunk line from the source intersecting North Plain Road, Van Deusenville Road to Park Street on the southern part of the distribution system bring water from the source which is then drawn sequentially through areas that are divided into sections as described below. Flushing in each of the three sections is conducted to minimize disturbances; however, flushing in general can cause occasional disturbances in other sections of the distribution system.

Section I consists of the transmission main running from the reservoir to the Division Street/North Plain Road, extending to the West Stockbridge Williamsville area.

Section II consists of the Van Deusenville Road/downtown core, and extends to the Stockbridge Furnace area, whereas Section III consists primarily of Park Street from Ramsdell Road on the south to the Park Street bridge in the north.

When Section I is being flushed, the transmission line to Section II at the intersection of North Plain Road and Main Street is shut off to provide unidirectional flushing. Likewise, when Section II is flushed, the North Plain Road and Main Street valve is closed, and the valve line at the Park Street Bridge is closed. Similarly, Section III is isolated from Sections I and II.

Blow offs on secondary streets in each section are conducted upon completion of the primary lines in each section. Our hydrant flushing schedule is at the end of this notice.

What to expect: During this phase, customers in our service area may experience lower water pressure and/or discolored water. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Hydrant Flow Testing: Once the flushing is completed, we will be flowing several hydrants to collect data for our engineers to use in developing a plan for water main upgrades. These hydrants are located between Pleasant and Depot Streets

What to expect: During this phase five hydrants in various part of town will be flowed for a short amount of time.

And while we anticipate the majority of the residual manganese will have been removed during the flushing phase, there may be bouts of system-wide discolored water.