The City of Pasco Public Works Department will be conducting a Unidirectional Flushing (UDF) program on the water system in central Pasco starting August 25. The UDF program will help to ensure the City’s water customers continue receiving high-quality drinking water.
Unidirectional flushing, or UDF, is a relatively new method of routine maintenance that consists of flushing the City’s water mains at specific zones. Flushing the system at a high velocity cleanses the water pipe’s inner walls and removes a variety of naturally occurring debris and sediment.
While flushing by the City in the past has been effective in maintaining water quality, UDF has been refined over the course of many years and provides a variety of benefits. Most importantly, the process ensures the City’s residents will continue receiving high quality potable water. In addition to producing high quality water, UDF uses less water than the old flushing methods. This means lower costs by reducing staff hours, vehicle use, fuel and wasted water supplies.
What to Expect During the Program:
• Daily flushing is planned from Monday through Friday (no weekends or holidays) between the hours of 8:00am and 3:00pm.
• UDF involves opening fire hydrants and closing valves under controlled conditions to clean the inner surface of water pipes.
• Every effort will be taken to minimize water service disruption during the process. In some cases, however, customers may experience a temporary drop in water pressure and/or discolored water. The discolored water does not pose a health hazard. If the discolored water does not clear up after running a tap after 5-10 minutes, please call Water Distribution at 545-3463.
• Maintaining access and water services to homes and businesses will be a top priority.
• Door hangers with this and additional information (in both English and Spanish) will be distributed as the program progresses through the potable water service area.
The City of Pasco strives to continue improving the quality of community life in Pasco.