Galesburg, IL (May 26, 2023) The City of Galesburg Water Division in conjunction with the Galesburg Fire Department will begin the annual fire hydrant flushing and testing program on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Hydrant testing will occur Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., weather permitting. The first area to be tested will be the northwest quadrant of the City. Tuesday’s testing will include North Broad Street, Heritage Drive, Patterson Drive, North Cedar Street, West Main Street, West Ferris Street, and North Henderson Street. General hydrant flushing locations will be posted daily on the City’s website as well as provided to local radio stations and news media.
Fire Department personnel will incorporate a unidirectional method in the testing process. This is a method of cleaning water mains through a network of flushing sequences with the water being discharged from the largest port on a fire hydrant.
The importance of implementing this program will ensure the greatest quality of water throughout the entire system. This technique allows higher water flow velocities to produce better scouring of pipes and will dislodge and remove mineral deposits that have accumulated in the water mains. The benefits include maintaining and potentially improving the water quality level in the mains, reducing bacteriological growth, restoring disinfection residuals, improving color and turbidity, controlling corrosion, and helping restore flow and pressures in the distribution system. Additionally, this testing process confirms that hydrants are in working order and available water flow is sufficient for use in fire emergencies.
There may be a slight drop in pressure or a presence of discoloration from the minerals and sediment that are being flushed out of the system. Service should not be disrupted during the flushing process.
The Galesburg Fire Department tests and maintains approximately 1,691 public and private hydrants. The annual process takes about six to eight weeks to complete. The City urges all residents to use caution while traveling around the firefighters and their vehicles and while entering areas of water accumulation during this program.
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