Suez Water Urges Reopening Toms River Businesses To Flush Pipes

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Businesses that have been closed for an extended period of time during the coronavirus pandemic should make sure they flush their water pipes before opening up.

That's the alert from from Suez South Jersey, to its customers in the Toms River area that may have been closed for a month or more due to COVID-19.

When water sits for long periods, as has happened with buildings that have been partially or mostly closed for much of the last three months, there is the potential for harmful bacteria to grow (that is unrelated to the coronavirus).

Prolonged flushing is required to bring fresh, safe, treated water into the building or home’s pipes, Suez officials said.

"Access to clean, safe drinking water at the tap has become even more critical during the health
crisis," said Nadine Leslie, CEO of Suez North America. "While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization remind us that drinking water is safe, this is no longer the case for water that has been sitting for long periods of time in building service lines."

Flushing the lines is critical to safety after "such a prolonged period where businesses and some homes have been shuttered," Leslie said. And doing so will help restore safe chlorine levels to keep the water properly sanitized.

Here are a few reminders from Suez:

• The building's water pipes will need to be flushed thoroughly by running water for at least 30 minutes from taps within the building to ensure the water is fresh. If staff is available now, begin flushing right away.
• All water-using office appliances such as ice machines and dishwashers should be run and aerators on faucets should be removed and cleaned. This will help clear out stagnant water.
• Inspect mechanical equipment – boilers, pumps, water heaters, backflow preventers, etc. – to determine if there are any issues affecting their function.
• The Environmental Science, Policy, and Research Institute offers comprehensive instructions for flushing building pipes.
• Homes that have not been in use during the stay-at-home period should also be flushed. Homes ordinarily have smaller service lines, so a quick but thorough flushing is important. The American Water Works Association has published full instructions for home flushing on its website.

"It is important that the return to job sites is as safe and seamless as possible. Flushing water pipes needs to be on that checklist," Suez officials said.

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