Olympic Water and Sewer will be conducting annual water main flushing in the North Bay service area starting Monday, May 13, 2024 and will continue through the end of June. This is not a continuous start-to-finish operation but rather will take place intermittently as manpower allows. Work will only occur Monday through Friday during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The crews will flush the mains using fire hydrants until the water runs clear.
Weekly email notifications informing customers where the flushing may be taking place during the upcoming week will be sent out through our Notification system. (Still need to sign-up? Register for notifications specific to your address here.) Weekly notifications can also be found on this website. “A-Boards” will be put out on streets prior to flushing to notify residents. Water quality throughout the water system should remain normal unless the flushing is in your immediate area.
This action is designed to flush away secondary contaminants that are left behind by the water. Department of Health terms Primary contaminants as those associated with known health issues. Secondary contaminants are associated primarily with aesthetic issues such as, but not limited to, color in the water and staining of plumbing fixtures. The lines need to be flushed periodically to prevent buildup of these contaminants and to prevent problems to the water system.
The flushing may cause a temporary change in the appearance of the water. The changes are generally in color, ranging from brownish to black in extreme cases. OWSI recommends that during the time of the flushing that no water should be run in the homes. Using water at the same time as the flushing could draw colored water into household plumbing. The discolored water might appear not only in the tap but also in hot water tanks and toilet tanks. In most cases after the flushing is complete running your tap for a few minutes will eliminate the discoloration. It is a temporary condition and the water should quickly return to normal. There are no known health issues associated with the discoloration.
Please call Olympic Water and Sewer at (360) 437-8241 should you have any questions about this notification or if you experience difficulties with your water returning to normal.
If you have an after-hours emergency related to this or any other water or sewer issue please call the answering service at (877) 826-5787. They will dispatch a technician.
