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From YouTube: This Week in Ames | Hydrant Flushing
Description
Public Works Operation Supervisor and Hydrant Flushing Guru Dale Weber tells us the how, when, and why of hydrant flushing.
A
A
B
Do
a
lot
with
a
water
distribution,
wastewater
collection
and
also
utility
locates
for
water
storm
and
sanitary
sewer,
so
got
nine
guys
that
work
with
me
and
they're.
The
ones
do
all
the
all
the
hard
work
washing
the
hydrants
doing,
the
utility
locates
being
in
the
ditches
doing
making
water
main
break
repairs,
for
instance,
and
doing
that
kind
of
thing
on
a
daily
basis,
cut
out
in
the
streets
and
same
time
trying
not
to
get
ran
over
and
help
get
traffic
director
around
our
job
sites.
So.
A
B
The
I
mean,
for
the
most
part,
water
treatment
plant
deals
with
from
treating
the
water
to
getting
it
to
the
pump
stations
to
the
water
towers
and
aims,
and
then
from
the
basically
from
that.
From
that
standpoint,
the
pipes
under
the
ground,
the
fire
hydrants,
the
water
valves
out
the
city
on
the
distribution
system,
is
what
we
take
care
of
and
maintained,
and
a
lot
of
reactionary
work.
B
From
the
ground
shifting
we
know,
wintertime
is
kind
of
our
busy
time.
December
January
February,
with
the
cold
temperatures,
sometimes
extremes
in
temperature
or
differences
in
the
moisture
in
the
ground.
So
when
it's
been
real,
wet
and
then
goes
real
dry
or
vice
versa.
That
also
creates
problems
in
this.
It's
ground
is
moving
and
then
the
you
know
contractor
sister
ones
where
there
a
lot
of
utilities
are
being
bored
in
anymore
and
so
equipment
is
very
accurate.
A
B
The
you
know
try
to
be
looking
at
five
and
half
foot
depth,
but
there
is
some
variation
because
of
grading
that's
taking
place.
So
we
do
have
some
water
mains
that
are
only
you
know
three
feet
deep
in
town
and
we've
got
others
that
are
you
know
the
Rays
roads
or
raised
areas
where
the
water
main
was
at
now
there
on
that
15-foot
depth
range,
which
makes
it
real
challenging
to
access
to
to
make
any
kind
of
repair
and.
A
B
A
big
part
of
our
well
there's
a
couple
things
we
do
with
the
fire
hydrant
flushing
one
is
we're.
Checking
the
operation
of
the
fire
hydrants
a
lot
of
times,
it's
possible
that
they
can
get
damaged
in
the
wintertime,
with
the
slick,
roads
or
even
in
the
snow
snow
removal
process.
So
we're
checking
the
Hydrans
make
sure
that
they
work
make
sure
they're
available
for
the
firefighters.
If
there
is
an
emergency
same
time.
B
B
Have
seven
guys
out,
there
will
be
flush
and
fire
hydrants
starting
Wednesday,
March
30th
and
take
about
ten
days
and
bill
when
they
first
pull
up.
They
will
take
a
hose
out
of
the
back
of
the
truck
they'll
hook
on
the
take
the
cap
off
of
the
fire.
Hydrant
connect
up
to
that
they'll
turn
the
hydrant
on
it's
about
18
turns
roughly
and
they'll
get
get
the
water
flowing
and
then
they'll
go
and
check.
They've
got
a
ipad
in
the
crock
reporting
information
on
kind
of
bird
flies,
which
hydron
it
is
that
they're
on
see.
B
If
there's,
if
anything,
has
changed,
they'll
keep
track
of
how
many
minutes
they
flush.
It
they're
also
taking
a
pressure
reading
off
of
our
baffle,
it's
on
the
back
of
the
truck,
and
that
helps
us
with
our
estimate
how
many
gallons
per
minute
that
the
Hydran
is
running
and
gives
us
an
idea
when
we
get
all
said
and
done,
how
many
gallons
we
went
to
for
the
flushing
program.
A
B
Have
they
can
go
to
the
city's
website
and
we
have
a
web-based
map
that
shows
the
city
shows
the
hydrants
and
we've
got
it
kind
of
shows
from
the
previous
year
kind
of
how
far
we
made
it
each
day
the
hydrants
start
out
as
being
read
once
we
flush
the
hydrate,
then
it
turns
to
green
and
in
a
matter
of
five
minutes,
or
so
after
some
after
one
of
our
guys,
has
been
their
flesh
and
hydrate,
it
will
change.
So
it's
real.
B
Think
a
big
part
of
the
Hat
meal
will
have
message
boards
out
there
as
we're
moving
along
kind
of
giving
people
an
idea
when
we're
in
the
area,
and
that's
worked
real
well
as
a
reminder.
We
also
are
on
the
on
the
radio
channel
12,
also,
which
is
a
big
help
getting
at
getting
the
word
out
to
people
and
I.
B
Think
the
big
thing
is
they
see
us,
you
know
when
they
go
to
use
water,
we're
in
the
cold
water
faucet
first,
if
it's
discolored,
then
one
of
the
best
things
that
he
was
just
just
wait.
Otherwise,
you
know
flush.
The
cold
water
falls
at
first
till
claire's
before
they
start
doing
laundry
and-
and
you
know
that
that
seems
to
be
all
it
takes.
B
You
run
the
hot
water
faucet
it's
going
to
draw
it
into
the
hot
water
heater
and
sin
then
you're
going
to
have
that
discolored
water
for
a
long
longer
period
of
time.
So
that's
why
the
cold
water
is
is
where
you
want
to
start
and
or
if
it
gets.
If
it
is
discovered,
you
didn't
realize
that
we
were
flushing
in
the
neighborhood.
Then
you
know
and
did
some
laundry
or
did
some
dishes,
then
you'll
need
to
run
the
cold
water
faucet
in
order
to
clear
it.
A
B
I,
typically
I'd
say,
is
probably
15-20
minutes
in
a
comment
in
an
area.
Typically,
we
average
about
five
or
six
minutes
per
fire
hydrant,
depending
upon
which
area
town
we
do
have
some
that
will
take
and
some
of
the
older
parts
of
town
will
take
around
30
minutes
so,
depending
upon
which
area
of
town
that
you're
in
when
we
get
their
flesh
and
hydrants.
That's
kind
of
the
window
kind
of
that
five
to
thirty
minutes
range
now.
B
B
A
I'm,
sorry,
no
problem
well,
thank
you,
def
we're
coming
on
the
show.
We
appreciate
it.
Okay,
thank
you
and
as
they'll
mention,
if
the,
if
you
do
have
rust,
that
you
notice
in
your
water,
there
is
free,
rust,
remover
that
is
available
at
the
city
hall,
information
desk,
the
water
plant
and
any
of
the
three
fire
departments
you
can
stop
by
and
pick
that
up
for
more
information.
You
can
always
check
out
our
website
at
city
of
ames
org
forward,
slash
hydrants
and
follow
us
on
Facebook
and
Twitter.