Starting Monday, April 11, the City of Ann Arbor Field Services Unit will begin its annual fire hydrant inspection and system maintenance procedures by flushing water through selected area hydrants.

Throughout the warm weather season, travelers may observe fire hydrants around town with water coming out of the side.

Why is it helpful to know when hydrant flushing is happening in your neighborhood? On occasion, the water in a home or a business may have an orange or rusty appearance. The iron sediment in the water main being disturbed by the hydrant flushing causes the discoloration. The water is safe to use and drink, but it can cause stains to laundry if the discoloration is not first cleared from the lines.

If you observe reddish tap water, please run your cold water for several minutes and flush your toilet to clear your lines. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the hydrant flushing process, the city is available to help you.

Call the City of Ann Arbor Field Services Unit at 794-6350 or visit www.a2gov.org/hydrantflushing and subscribe to email updates of the hydrant flushing schedule through the free GovDelivery red envelope service.

Nancy Stone is the communications liaison for public services at the City of Ann Arbor. She can be reached at nstone@a2gov.org. Visit www.a2gov.org for more information on local environmental topics including recycling, composting, water conservation, and choices for green living.

Your World provides local environmental information to our community. Contributing partners include: Washtenaw County’s Environmental Health Division; the nonprofit Recycle Ann Arbor; the City of Ann Arbor’s Public Services Area, Natural Area Preservation, Systems Planning programs for Energy, Environmental Coordination, Solid Waste, Transportation, and Water Resources.