Submitted by the City of Stevens Point

STEVENS POINT — In order to continue to provide the highest quality water possible, the City of Stevens Point Public Utilities operates all of our fire hydrants to flush any sediment that may have built in the water main. This preventative maintenance part of our operation not only helps keep the highest quality water, but it also provides us the opportunity to make sure that all of our fire hydrants are properly working.

Flushing water mains also helps keep our operational costs down and gives us a system health check on our infrastructure. We flush our mains from 8:30pm to 6:00am for four nights in a row to try disturb as little as possible.

Why is our hydrant flushing necessary?

Flushing of our entire water system helps purge all of our water mains of any buildup of sediment. This is a common nationwide practice to keep the highest quality water and also this ensures that we maintain our firefighting capabilities for public safety.

As a resident, what should I know?

If you notice our crew working through your neighborhood, avoid running your tap water or using the dishwasher and washing machines. The duration should be relatively short and they will keep moving on once they see no issues with the quality of the water at their hydrant. If you see them running a hydrant, please slow down and treat them like any other construction crew.

Do not try to drive through the full stream of water if it is covering the road. For the safety of everyone, please wait and let them wave you through when it is safe or proceed with caution. Don’t be afraid to wave to them as well! Tap water still may have some discoloration. If you encounter this, please run the cold water on the lowest level of your property until it clears up.

A basement laundry sink or garden hose outside are two recommended options. This discoloration is not a health hazard and only affects the appearance of the water. The discoloration should clear within a few hours, if it does not, please call our office at (715) 345-5260. Try to avoid washing laundry or doing dishes later in the evening and throughout the night during this week if possible. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you for working with us to help keep our award winning water at the highest quality.