Everybody knows that hydrants are essential to provide water for fire protection, but they also serve a critical role in ensuring customers receive reliable, quality water service at their home or business.

Hydrants are necessary to flush the underground water system, improving water quality by removing mineral and sediment deposits that accumulate over time. While not harmful to customers, the substances can cause aesthetic water quality issues when they are not periodically flushed from the system.

The process is known as hydrant flushing, and it is an essential maintenance procedure all water providers must perform periodically to ensure the deliver of water that meets state and federal drinking water standards.

During flushing activities, hydrants are opened for a limited period at strategic points in the system, moving water through the pipes at a high speed to discharge the minerals and sediments that settle in the pipes over time. Flushing also helps to maintain flow and pressure in the water system.

Water discharged during Golden State Water’s flushing activities is done so in full compliance with state and federal regulations. In several service areas, Golden State Water is using NO-DES (Neutral Output-Discharge Elimination System) flushing to help flush our distribution systems sustainably.

Traditional hydrant flushing discharges hundreds of thousands of gallons of water onto the street. GSWC’s NO-DES trucks and trailers offer a new maintenance technology, connecting two hydrants to a complex filtration system which cleans the water and returns it to the distribution system.

Customers may experience fluctuations in water pressure or temporary presence of sediment in their water during flushing periods, but the condition is temporary and poses no health hazard. Water service should not be interrupted by flushing activities.