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virginia-american-water-begins-annual-spring-flushing-in-hopewell-and-fort-lee-districts

Virginia American Water Begins Annual Spring Flushing in Hopewell and Fort Lee Districts

Hopewell, V.A. – April 19, 2021 – Beginning Monday, May 3, Virginia American Water will begin its annual water system flushing program in the City of Hopewell, as well as the subdivisions of New Birchett Estates, Cedar Creek, Cedar Creek West, Strattford Woods and Mullberry Woods in Prince George County and Fort Lee to support the continued provision of high-quality water service to our customers. Flushing will take place Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. and is expected to be completed by the end of July 2021.

Flushing the system helps to clean out any buildup of mineral deposits and sediment inside the pipes. The company also flushes its hydrants to confirm they are operational and to check fire flows in the system. The process of flushing involves simultaneously opening fire hydrants in a specific area to create increased water flows.

In conjunction with hydrant flushing is the routine switch in disinfectants from chloramines to free chlorine in the water treatment process. Chloramine and chlorine are common disinfectants used in the water treatment process to remove microbial contaminants like bacteria and viruses from water. You may notice a slightly stronger chlorine taste and odor in your drinking water. If you’re especially sensitive to the taste and odor of chlorine, we recommend that you keep an open container of drinking water in your refrigerator. This will enable the chlorine to dissipate, reducing the chlorine taste.

“We are proud of the high-quality water service we deliver to our customers,” said Casey Allen, vice president of operations. “In addition to a $25 million upgrade project for the Hopewell Water Treatment Plant currently underway, essential maintenance activities such as our hydrant flushing program and temporary change in disinfectant at our water treatment facility are key to continuing to provide our customers with high-quality drinking water.”

As Virginia American Water employees conduct this work, they will adhere to recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding social distancing.  The company asks customers to not approach employees as they work.

It’s possible that customers may experience a slight discoloration of their water when crews are working in their areas. Should a customer notice discolored water coming from the tap, they should simply run their cold-water faucet – not hot water – until the water runs clear.

Virginia American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 325,000 people. For more information, visit www.virginiaamwater.com and follow Virginia American Water on Twitter and Facebook.


Media Contacts

Marybeth Leongini

External Affairs Manager

571-344-0998

marybeth.leongini@amwater.com