Cold Water Flush Required for Battle Creek’s North Side

Residents in some areas of Battle Creek’s north side are being asked to perform a simple cold water flush of their system just in case there is some discoloration in the water.

The City announced Tuesday afternoon that the water system was reset after the water tower in the Urbandale returned to service after painting was completed at the tower. The tower was refilled after being disinfected and use of the water valves on the northern part of the system were used to direct water there. Water was also taken from the ground storage tanks at McCrea Park.

There was a period of nine minutes where some valves were closed to meet the demand of water to the tower along with restarting a pump at the Verona Pump Station. Though water pressure was lower, there was enough pressure to avoid a Boil Water Advisory.

The City asks residents on the north end to run their water cold until it turns clear if you see discoloration. They stated that it is common for customers to see discolored water because of this situation. Here is what you do -

• DO NOT USE HOT WATER! If you have a water softener, put it on bypass and remove the filter. Be sure to remove screens and aerators from faucets.
• Turn on the cold water on all faucets, inside and out, and make sure they are wide open. Run the water until it becomes clear. Also, flush toilets that also may have discolored water until it becomes clear.
• After the flush, drain a gallon of water from the water heater 30 minutes after flushing the system to take on residual sediment.

Visit the City's official release on the cold water flush. An attached cheat sheet on how to perform the flush can be found here.