October 30, 2025

Hydrant flushing throughout November

Each year, our operations team rolls up their sleeves and rolls out the hoses to flush out our water system!

By utilizing fire hydrants, our team performs what's known as a unidirectional flushing operation. Over time, minerals like rust and sediment can settle inside water lines. By flushing water through the pipes in a specific direction at high speeds, we can wash out those materials.

How does this impact residents?

During flushing, you might notice temporarily discolored water. This is just the stirred-up sediment being cleared out and should subside after running your water for a few seconds. Temporary discoloration typically only affects homes on the day crews are in your neighborhood.

Where is hydrant flushing happening?

Each year, we perform hydrant flushing in one of three zones. This year, we are working on the "low" zone, which is primarily the east side of Louisville, including downtown and the Colorado Tech Center.

Fast facts on water line maintenance

• We maintain approximately 125 miles of potable water lines!
• There are 1,393 fire hydrants in Louisville... and we inspect all of them during our hydrant flushing operation!
• Our team uses a specific formula to determine exactly how long to keep the hydrant open, minimizing water use while ensuring every inch of the water line has been washed out.