It was something new to me when I moved to Michigan a few months ago - Hydrant Flushing.

What's the purpose of doing this, and WHEN will your neighborhood have its hydrants flushed?

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There's a good chance some neighborhoods in Kalamazoo have already seen this happening, as the city has begun it's annual "end of summer" or "beginning of Fall" (however you see it) purge of the city's water system.

Flushing the hydrants stirs up the water in the main lines across the city, and forces sediments out of the water network. This will lower the chances of any debris backup in the main water lines.

The flushing also serves as a way for staff to verify that all water supply systems are working correctly, such as pumps, storage tanks, mains, valves, and hydrants.

Crews started flushing some neighborhoods on Sunday, and should only be opening up hydrants between 7 a.m. and 3:30 in the afternoon. So you might see water flushing across the roads for your morning commutes, but roads and gutters should be cleared up by the time you head home from work.

Here's the schedule from a map provided by the City of Kalamazoo, Department of Public Services:

City of Kalamazoo, Department of Public Services
City of Kalamazoo, Department of Public Services
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As you can see, for the most part, the city will begin working in the northeast part of Kalamazoo and its townships, and work its way west, and south.

All hydrant flushing should be finished by the end of the month of September, barring any kind of setbacks.

Kalamazoo River Oil Spill of 2010

In 2010, the Kalamazoo River suffered one of the worst inland oil spills in U.S. History, dumping nearly 1 million gallons of "dilbit" into the river, and affecting nearly 35 miles of the river.

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