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Tucson Water Recommends Flushing Procedures for Buildings Prior to Reopening

As state and local jurisdictions prepare to allow businesses to re-open, Tucson Water officials urge owners and tenants of buildings that have remain closed for the past several weeks to exercise caution and take some simple steps to ensure continued health and safety of employees and customers.

Water held within private plumbing lines over extended periods of time will become stagnant and can undergo changes in quality. This water can potentially harbor bacteria or contain elevated metal levels from extended contact with metal components. Mitigate exposure to stagnant water by systematically flushing twice the volume of water held in the lines through the plumbing system.

Steps to achieve a complete flush of stagnant water include:

  1. Remove faucet aerators and point-of-entry water treatment units prior to flushing.

2. Ensure that plumbing furthest from the meter is turned on first.

3. Flush water through as many outlets as possible simultaneously, such as sink faucets, showerheads, drinking fountains, toilets, hoses, etc.

4. Existing protocols suggests that flush durations range from 10 to 30 minutes for each outlet (duration varies based on outlet velocity).

5. Flush both cold and hot water lines, and also the water heater.

Cooling towers, evaporative coolers, and misting lines should also be sanitized before occupants return to thepage1image17944

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Additional references:
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/building-water-system.html
AWWA: https://www.awwa.org/Resources-Tools/Resource-Topics/Coronavirus#lt-10681543-shutoffs-and- return-to-service-guidance
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