Water Flushing Scheduled In Avon Lake

AVON LAKE, OH — Avon Lake Regional Water (ALRW) will begin flushing water pipes throughout the city on Monday. Flushing will continue for several weeks, with crews starting on the west side of the city and moving east.

Water will be safe to use during flushing. However, residents are encouraged to reduce their water usage if crews are seen in the area, "this will allow any sediment may be stirred up during the flushing to pass by your connection and go through the open hydrant," ALRW said on its website. Residents should hold off on doing laundry while crews are at work, otherwise sediment may make its way into your washing machine, staining clothes.

This week, crews will primarily be operating between the Sheffield Lake border and OH-83, ALRW said on its website. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Avon-Avon Lake newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

Discolored water will also be common during flushing times. If discolored water emerges from a faucet, run the cold water for 10 minutes and the water should clear up. If the water does not clear up, residents should call ALRW at (440) 933-6226.

"Flushing of the water pipes is in preparation for our new corrosion control effort. Across the State of Ohio, water treatment facilities implement corrosion control efforts to prevent corrosion of their water pipes. The most common approach is to add phosphate to the water to coat the inside of the pipes to prevent corrosion. The phosphate reacts with the pipes to form an insoluble coating to protect the pipes. The amount of phosphate that will be added to the water is a minimal amount that will not impact the quality or taste of the water, and is well within guidelines approved by the Ohio EPA," the ALRW says on its website.

ALRW said the initial application will see the amount of phosphorus in one cup amount to about .15 mg. In the long run, there will be about .05 mg of phosphorous in a cup of water. For comparison purposes, a cup of Skim Milk has about 250 mg of phosphorus.

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