Enhanced water main cleaning began on Sunday, October 9th.
Work will be continuing until the last week of the month, during the early morning hours of 4 AM through 7 AM, approximately. Work is scheduled tentatively at this time for alternate days effective October 20th, for the following areas; Monday, October 24th – North Quinsigamond Ave from West Main St. to the Post Office Entrance. We ask that residents in the area adjust their schedules accordingly for water related activities. In conjunction with the scheduled water main cleaning, the Department will be doing main gate work daily between 8:30AM - 2:30PM in the above areas, including O'Donnell Ave. This procedure is an alternative to flushing mains, especially mains that might be causing issues with discolored water. Ice Pigging is a technique that is more effective than flushing in removing particles and sediments from pipe walls. An ice slurry is pumped through a section of main to “clean” it.
All water customers may experience water discoloration and particles resulting from valves being opened and closed to facilitate this cleaning. If you experience water discoloration, it is advised to run your cold water preferably from your outside faucet, to avoid bringing more discolored water into the home. The discoloration should clear in a short amount of time.
For those customers that are serviced directly by a water main that is being cleaned, during the flushing process, a small amount of sodium chloride (table salt) may enter your service line. Customers should avoid using water during the time of the main cleaning and should run their taps for 2 to 3 minutes prior to using the water for drinking or cooking, after the completion of the procedure. If a salty taste is detected, run your tap for a longer period of time. Generally, if you detected a cooler temperature of the water from your tap, you have sufficiently flushed out your service line. If the water becomes very cold, continue to run your tap for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Prior to a section of pipe being cleaned, customers in the immediate area will have a door hanger left a day or two ahead advising that work is about to take place.
For Healthy individuals, the sodium intake from water is not important, because a much greater intake of sodium takes place from salt in the diet. However, sodium levels above the recommended upper limit of 50 milligrams per liter may be a concern to individuals on sodium restricted diets, or those on dialysis.
Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Shrewsbury Water Department at (508) 841-8506.