Hydrant flushing in Schumacher

Residents of Schumacher can expect to see City employees testing and flushing fire hydrants from Monday, September 19 to Friday, September 23.

This is part of a regular maintenance program, necessary under the Fire Protection Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. While this process may cause temporary inconveniences, the program is designed to ensure our hydrants are in working order and ready for emergency use, verify flow capacity and clean the lines.

Crews of two are required to complete the work to ensure the safety of staff around the equipment and high levels of water pressure.

Homeowners and businesses may experience short-term loss in water pressure or experience brown or rust-coloured water following the testing. It is recommended not to drink or wash laundry with the discoloured water.

While it is not harmful to your health, it can stain laundry. Should this occur, it is advised to turn off your tap for 10-20 minutes in order to allow the crew to complete the test. Once the test is complete and the work crew has left the area, turn on the COLD water tap closest to the source (usually your laundry tub tap) and let it run for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the water colour has returned to normal.

City staff would like to thank residents for their patience and cooperation during this necessary process, and advise that if there are any questions, concerns or requests for additional information, they may contact the Public Utilities Department at 705-360-2646. After-hours emergencies should be directed to 705-264-1201.