Fire Hydrant flushing causes discolored water

TRUMANN, Ark. (KAIT) - Trumann has been working for the past week to flush out their fire hydrants.

It’s a process to make sure the fire crew can access water in case of emergency, but it leads to some side effects for residents.

Trumann Mayor Jay Paul Woods said this is something they have not done a lot of in the past but is important to make sure they are prepared in case of emergency.

“In Trumann, we have a lot of lines that are many years old and so it takes time, and some of those will never completely clear up the water,” Woods said. “We continuously test it and it’s safe even though it does not look safe.”

One of the side effects of the work on the hydrants is some residents have noticed they have water is a different color.

While the water is safe to drink, Trumann resident Matthew Sanders said he’d much rather have a bottle or drink out of a filter.

“You never know why it is discolored, if there is rust in the water or if there is some type of bacteria or fungus or growth,” Sanders said.

He did say he knows this is important work and thinks that everyone will be willing to sacrifice for a couple of days.

“If it just means for a couple of days that I have to drink jugs of water or filter my water that is fine,” Sanders said.

Mayor Woods said the process clears out sediment that builds up at the bottom of the lines and makes sure the caps can come off easily when needed.

He knows murky water is something people have complained about in the past but has advice for those homeowners who are worried.

“If people get discolored water or dark water, turn the cold water on and see if it is running clear. If it is running clear, then it is probably coming out of your hot water tank,” Woods explained.

They hope to be finished by this week and Woods said this is something they are going to continue to do every six months to try and clear things up for everyone.

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