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Palmdale Water District (PWD) is urging businesses that are reopening after a prolonged closure due to the Stay-at-Home order to flush all their water lines in their buildings to ensure water quality.
Water that has remained in pipes and not used during the mandatory shutdown can have poor quality, lack of chlorine residual, and become the source of water-borne illnesses. All non residential PWD customers, including commercial properties and schools, are urged to flush the stagnant water before using.
“Stagnant water typically has very low or no disinfectant residual, which can result in the growth of harmful pathogens and microorganisms,” said PWD Water Quality and Regulatory Affairs Supervisor Amanda Thompson. “As water sits, it also can leach metals from the pipes into the water, causing colored water, and water evaporation can lead to depressurization of the system, making the building’s water system more susceptible to contamination. We highly recommend flushing the water lines to get fresh water.”
Thompson added that flushing will also re-pressurize the water system in the building.
To successfully flush the lines, the old water needs to be disposed of by running the tap from all points, such as showers and sink faucets, until fresh water comes through. Hot water should be flowing at its hottest temperature.
Since correct flushing of water systems varies with the type of property, it is recommended that customers check the eight-step guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The guidelines can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/reopen-guidance.html.
