Ohio Department Of Health Recommends Water Supply Flushing

Press release from the City of Akron:

May 7, 2020

Akron, Ohio, May 7, 2020 – In accordance with Ohio’s statewide transition plan announced April 27, 2020, and as buildings re-open that have had little to no water usage during the Stay-at-Home Order due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that Ohio Department of Health recommendations to flush water that has been stagnant in both cold- and hot-water distribution lines and fixtures are followed.

As buildings reopen, it is critical to drain, flush, and if necessary based on a review of building conditions, disinfect the hot and cold-water systems to remove harmful contaminants. Devices that store water, such as drinking water fountains, water heaters, storage tanks, and any droplet or mist-forming devices such as cooling towers, humidifiers, showerheads, and certain medical and manufacturing devices and process equipment should also be flushed and disinfected in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations or industry best practices.

The Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency have issued “Guidance for Premise Plumbing Water Service Restoration.”

Please note that this guidance applies to the water systems of all types of buildings that are unoccupied or partially occupied during the COVID-19 pandemic, including but not limited to office buildings, manufacturing facilities, medical offices (e.g., physician and dentist offices, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient centers, etc.), government facilities, and religious institutions. If you are a tenant of a building, we recommend that you share this information with the building owner, building manager, or management company and ask them to consider taking these precautions.

For further information please visit the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio EPA Websites at https://odh.ohio.gov and https://www.epa.state.oh.us/

Additional Guidance Documents can be found at the links below:

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/OHEMS/2020/05/04/file_attachments/1442878/OEPA%20ODH%20Guidance%20for%20Premise%20Plumbing%20Water%20Service%20Restoration.pdf

https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/Legionella-Environmental/media/Unoccupied-Building-Recommendations

For further information, contact:
Ellen Lander Nischt
Press Secretary
Phone: 330-375-2325
E-mail: ELander@akronohio.gov

This press release was produced by the City of Akron. The views expressed here are the author’s own.