Fire hydrant flushing and how it protects public health and water quality

Just in time for summer, we've compiled a brief explainer on fire hydrant flushing, which you may see taking place in your neighborhood. Our fire hydrant flushing program is one of the many ways we protect water quality, public health, and safety for the people of Pittsburgh.
Image

The 400-plus PWSA employees who make up our team take immense pride in delivering safe, high-quality drinking water to the more than 500,000 consumers we serve.

Our fire hydrant flushing program is one of the many ways we protect water quality, public health, and safety for the people of Pittsburgh. Routine hydrant flushing maintains water quality and ensures that proper flow and pressure is available throughout our distribution system, especially important in the event of a public safety emergency.

In total, PWSA maintains a large network of hydrants – approximately 7,500 throughout our drinking water system. Each year, in compliance with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC), we’re required to flush a third of our hydrants, or about 2,500 per year. In 2023, we met our goal to inspect and flush all hydrants within our water distribution system within three years; this cycle is now repeating in 2024.

With the warmer months officially upon us, you’re likely to spot hydrant flushing taking place in your neighborhood. Let's learn a bit more about how that drives water quality and public safety.

Water Quality.

Most importantly, fire hydrant flushing is a water quality checkpoint. For homes to receive fresh, clean water, that water needs to move through the pipes. Flushing helps to move water through the system. It also clears out debris, minerals, and sediments that collect over time.

When our Operations crew flushes a hydrant, they also check chlorine levels within the distribution system. If it measures out or range, then we let the hydrant run until levels return to normal. Sometimes that means a hydrant may have to run for a week or longer. It may seem wasteful, but this flow brings chlorine back to normal, which is essential for maintaining water quality.

Public Safety.

With each inspection, we confirm that each hydrant is operational. We inspect the hydrant and lubricate its nozzles to establish that they’re functional. If there’s an emergency, like a fire, first responders can act quickly. If one is broken, we will immediately begin the process to repair or replace that hydrant and have it in working order as soon as possible.

For more information, including common issues and questions, please visit our fire hydrants webpage. For more water quality information, please see PWSA’s 2023 Water Quality Report, released this June.