LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield Center Water District (LCWD) will begin to conduct high-velocity water-main flushing on May 2.
Flushing will occur Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., through the middle of May.
Flushing will begin in the Apple Hill, Chestnut and Lowell Street neighborhoods, which is known as the Apple Hill area.
LCWD flushes parts of its system twice each year to remove iron and manganese, which builds up naturally in groundwater. Work windows are defined when the system has water-supply capabilities to conduct the testing. This is typically in mid-spring and fall.
Hydrants are flowed at high velocity to remove sediment from pipes. This expels iron and manganese before it reaches customers’ taps and ensures the long-term health of the system.
“We do it in such a manner so we always bring clean water to flushing,” said LCWD Superintendent John Scenna. “Theoretically, we are also cleaning the system on a seasonal basis in the spring and in the fall because that’s when we have water supply from our storage tank. We want to do it at such times that we have the ability to restore the tank at the conclusion of flushing.”
Scenna said his office is often asked why flushing doesn’t take place in the summer.
“We can’t do it in the summer because that’s when residents themselves are using the water in the storage tank,” said Scenna. “Some communities with MWRA water can flush in the summer because they don’t have the restrictions that we do. Our water in storage is what residents need to use during times of heavy use. If we flushed in the summer, they won’t have the water they need.”
Scenna said flushing also allows the opportunity to exercise gate valves in the system and hydrants, so operators can proactively diagnose issues that may require repair in advance of emergencies.
Scenna said the district would like to be able to flush the old town neighborhoods, as well as Apple Hill, every spring.
“We do try to make our way there, but the duration of the program depends on the demands on the system,” he said. “We shut down in May when we have demand for water (from) the community. We have the district broken down into sections and we try to do one section of the program every year and we continue until we do the whole system. You really like to flush your system every two or three years.”
Scenna said the Apple Hill neighborhood is flushed every year because it helps reduce the discoloration problem caused by manganese buildup. Residents may experience discolored water, low pressure or no pressure during flushing, he said.
LCWD customers are advised to avoid using water when crews are flushing or testing on their street. Doing so could cause sediment to get into pipes, which could cause them to block, reduce pressure, and/or cause discoloration in the water. Scenna said this situation can be expensive to repair. Residents who experience problems are advised to contact LCWD for assistance.
Residents should avoid doing laundry during flushing. After flushing, residents should run cold water for a few minutes before running their washers.
Once flushing is completed, customers may experience rusty or cloudy water. Residents should run cold water, preferably from an outdoor-water spigot, until the water runs clear. Residents are advised not to run hot water, do laundry, use their dishwashers, or add water to pools until the cold water runs clean.
If customers experience lower water pressure after flushing, they should check the faucet screen for particles that may have collected and clean it, if necessary.
Residents are encouraged to check the LCWD website (https://lcwd.us/) for updates and flushing schedules. Schedule changes will be shared on the LCWD website and its social-media pages. It also will be issuing code-red system notifications to customers living in areas that work is taking place.
Anyone with questions about the upcoming flushing should contact the LCWD office at 781-334-3901, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
