Unidirectional Water Main Flushing

Each year Henrico County will “flush” approximately 10 percent of its water mains. To flush a water main, selected hydrants along a section of the water pipeline are opened. The high velocity of the released water scours the main, removing any collected sediment. The water is released onto the street, the chlorine is removed and the water enters the storm drain run-off system. Flushing takes about 15 minutes for each hydrant. The flushing work will be conducted by our contractor, Wachs Water.

The flushing work is conducted during the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. During periods of actual flushing, consumers may notice large quantities of water in the street, as well as slight pressure drops, air in the lines or some temporary discoloration and the presence of sediment in your water. These conditions are not harmful and should be of very short duration. To counter these effects, the County recommends restricting water use and then running the water from an outside spigot for a short time to flush out any loosened sediment in your plumbing piping.