Bloomfield Fire Hydrant Flushing Begins: What To Know

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield Fire Department, in partnership with the Bloomfield Engineering Department will begin routine, mandatory hydrant flushing on Monday, May 9.

According to a municipal advisory, to minimize disruption to residents, notifications will be made ahead of time via the township cable channel (Channel 35), the township website, as well as the township’s Facebook page about which hydrants will be flushed.

“Hydrant flushing is a routine maintenance process that our Fire Department and Engineering Department jointly perform in a quick and efficient manner,” Mayor Michael Venezia said. “In the past we have received complaints of clogged filters as a result of this process, so property owners who have installed internal house filters at the service pipe near their meter should remove the filters when they receive notice of flushing in their area.”

“Please monitor the town cable channel, as well as our website and Facebook to stay up to date about when this will be taking place in your neighborhood,” Venezia said.

According to Bloomfield officials, excess sediment can be caught in household filters thereby limiting the life of the filter. The filters can be reinstalled after the flushing is complete.

“Part of our department's efforts to protect the people of Bloomfield includes performing regular maintenance and inspections,” Fire Chief Lou Venezia said. “Not only is hydrant flushing required, but it is a critical task that ensures when we need these hydrants during an emergency we know that they will function properly without incident.”

Regular hydrant flushing is required by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the National Fire Protection Association to flush out sediment and to ensure that the hydrants are functioning properly, officials said.

There are about 1,200 fire hydrants in the township that will be serviced; the process will take approximately four months to complete, officials said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.