The Public Works Department will begin Rock Island's Fire Hydrant Flushing Program on Sunday, Sept. 29th, at 11 p.m. This program maintains the city's water distribution system and is an annual routine.
During this flushing process, a four-person team will work Sunday through Monday nights until Oct. 11th. The remainder of the program will be carried out from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. This work is expected to continue through October and may extend into November.
During the city's flushing program, Rock Island citizens may find their water briefly discolored or low-pressure, a normal occurrence during the flushing process.
The water supply also has the potential to contain sediment containing lead, which can be alleviated by keeping the water running until it is clear.
On Monday, Sept. 16, the city's Water Treatment Plant will switch to treating water supplies with free chlorine in preparation for the upcoming hydrant flushing.
While chloramine is usually used to treat the city's water, Jason Upton, the Rock Island utilities superintendent, said the switch to free chlorine will help further disinfect the water lines during the hydrant flushing.
"Prior to our fall flush, we'll switch over to free chlorine because it's a better disinfectant so that we can then flush our lines," Upton said. "...And then it's temporary because we will switch back to chloramines when we're done with our flushing program."
Upton said that although free chlorine is a more potent disinfectant, the city will continue using chloramines after flushing because of their more stable qualities.
"On an everyday basis, we use chloramines, which kind of gets it out into the system further [and] doesn't have such a dramatic reaction with organics," Upton said. "Organics are what's in the river, and since we treat the river, we've got to be cognizant of the fact that chlorine can have a reaction with organics."
During this switch, citizens may notice an increased scent of chlorine in their tap water, but the water will remain safe to use and consume.