Aqua puts hydrant flushing on hold

By Denise Dick

By DENISE DICK

denise_dick@vindy.com

poland

Aqua Ohio officials say that since the company temporarily stopped flushing hydrants, the number of complaints about a residue in the water has decreased.

A few weeks ago, some residents of Poland and other areas served by Aqua Ohio reported finding a gritty residue on their dishes after running their dishwashers.

“We’ve ceased, for now, our flushing operations and we’ve had no further complaints,” said Al Sauline, Aqua vice president.

For those who are still having problems, both Sauline and Zach Martin, production manager at the company’s plant on state Route 170, advise customers to flush their hot water tanks.

It’s a process that should be done annually anyway, Sauline said.

The dishwasher is only connected to the hot water and that’s why customers saw the residue on dishes.

One of the township customers who was the first to voice complaint about the problem said she’s seen an improvement.

“I ran the dishwasher two nights ago and it was a lot better,” said Linda Hoover, who lives on Hummingbird Hill Drive.

About a week ago, she cleaned all of the aerators from the faucets in her home.

“They were all filled,” Hoover said.

The aerator from the kitchen faucet had been cleaned about six weeks before, she said.

Hydrants are flushed periodically as a way to rid the main lines of sediment, Martin said. During periods of high heat, there’s more demand for water, making the flushing process less effective.

Also during flushing, the company experienced some water main breaks, including one on Hummingbird, that exacerbated the problem, stirring up sediment.

“It was a perfect storm, if you will,” Martin said.

Sauline said that Aqua will resume the flushing process in the fall and likely at night when there’s less demand.