Some Mission residents may notice their water turning cloudy in the coming weeks.
The City of Mission will be cleaning watermains, in pressure zone three, by unidirectional flushing beginning March 28, for approximately 3-5 weeks.
The areas that will be affected include from Best Ave. to 14th Ave. and from Eagle Cres. to Stave Lake St. (see map to the left).
According to the city press release, work will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Each day an area of approximately five city blocks will be cleaned.
The process will create extremely discoloured and debris-laden water as the water main side walls are scoured to remove any accumulated debris.
Most residents water service will not be disrupted during the flushing process. If discolouration is noticed in your water, the city asks that you please turn the tap off for 15 minutes, then flush from your bathtub tap or outside tap until the water runs clear.
Only residences with full water interruption will receive a letter from City staff advising of the scheduled interruption. Notices will be delivered door-to-door and a day in advance of the scheduled cleaning. Please be advised, if you do not receive a letter, you can expect your water service to remain on for the duration of the project.
What is Unidirectional Flushing?
Unidirectional Flushing (UDF) is a method of cleaning the inside of watermains within the distribution system. This UDF technique allows high flow velocities of water by isolating certain sections of watermains. This higher velocity water flow allows for better scouring of the inside wall of the watermains.
The UDF program is completed by closing water valves in a specific manner to create water movement in one direction while opening fire hydrants at the end of that section. Maintaining this flushing sequence is important so that the water used during flushing remains clean.
For more information, you can visit www.mission.ca.