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Water board flushing the system

ks789

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ipswich
We've all had letters from anglian water about dates for flushing of the water mains in our various streets. It warns quality can be affected on other dates as well, if streets nearby are flushed. Im not a great producer as Im fairly part time, but i better get some done in advance. Thing is with ours, its already really high tds, around 500 odd, so i hope the flushing dont make it much higher, maybe possibly improve it after a while? 

 
We've all had letters from anglian water about dates for flushing of the water mains in our various streets. It warns quality can be affected on other dates as well, if streets nearby are flushed. Im not a great producer as Im fairly part time, but i better get some done in advance. Thing is with ours, its already really high tds, around 500 odd, so i hope the flushing dont make it much higher, maybe possibly improve it after a while? 
Usually flushing is opening valves and letting water spray out. They flood the road in our cal de sac when they do it. We haven't noticed much difference when they do it apart from low water pressure.

I usually switch the r/o off during that period, check the water by filling the bath and checking for sediment in the evening. The only thing we seem to get is a smell of chlorine which isn't best for our membranes. I tend to refill overnight during this time.

They only flush once so when the road is wet I know it's done. I then tread cautiously for the next few days and then back to normal after that.

 
Usually flushing is opening valves and letting water spray out. They flood the road in our cal de sac when they do it. We haven't noticed much difference when they do it apart from low water pressure.

I usually switch the r/o off during that period, check the water by filling the bath and checking for sediment in the evening. The only thing we seem to get is a smell of chlorine which isn't best for our membranes. I tend to refill overnight during this time.

They only flush once so when the road is wet I know it's done. I then tread cautiously for the next few days and then back to normal after that.
Will watch out for that chlorine. Might be best if i do extra production now before they do here, then I can have enough water to see me till march.

 
Will watch out for that chlorine. Might be best if i do extra production now before they do here, then I can have enough water to see me till march.
That's what I would do. I just make sure my IBC tank is full. That will generally last me 3 or 4 cleaning days if I start with a full tank in the van as well. This gives me plenty of time to get over the flush period.  We are the last house on the ring main in our cul de sac so its not difficult it keep an eye out for them. I would imagine its a bit more difficult if you are on a long street and the flush valve is a long way from you.

The last time they flushed they were working in the pouring rain so I didn't go out anyway. I think the time previous was in the middle of summer so didn't affect me either as water consumption in our area is higher with people using water on their gardens.

 
Sometimes you just never know what is going on a burst water main two streets away and you might not know it's happened and your sediment filter could be fouled up, 

I changed my sediment filter back in December then moved house just 100 meters away the water pressure is far better here but has dropped a little but I checked my sediment filter at the weekend and it was shot as was my CFB-Plus 10 I wasn't aware of any issues or work, but as of this week I now run my R/O overnight 

 
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I now use two 10 inch sediment filters before the booster pump and three 10 inch granular carbon filters after the booster pump immediately before the two ROs and two resin vessels. I'm finding this works and lasts better than when I had one sediment and two carbon filters after the booster pump. The pumps are lasting longer as well.

 
Sometimes you just never know what is going on a burst water main two streets away and you might not know it's happened and your sediment filter could be fouled up, 

I changed my sediment filter back in December then moved house just 100 meters away the water pressure is far better here but has dropped a little but I checked my sediment filter at the weekend and it was shot as was my CFB-Plus 10 I wasn't aware of any issues or work, but as of this week I now run my R/O overnight 
What? was the carbon block filter shot as well? I reckon really that all sediment filter housings should be clear. Blue ones are easy enough to undo, but always think I might be not doing it back up with the filter dead center, so a pain really.

 
What? was the carbon block filter shot as well? I reckon really that all sediment filter housings should be clear. Blue ones are easy enough to undo, but always think I might be not doing it back up with the filter dead center, so a pain really.
it was looking shot an orange tinge at the bottom and appeared to be bulging out a little and the mesh looked to be distorting a little, so I changed them both, no idea what had been going through there was even something on I had never seen before, I will have to get a photo as it's only in the top of the bin. 

I'm going to have to contact @doug atkinson to see if he has some 10" clear housing's 

 
it was looking shot an orange tinge at the bottom and appeared to be bulging out a little and the mesh looked to be distorting a little, so I changed them both, no idea what had been going through there was even something on I had never seen before, I will have to get a photo as it's only in the top of the bin. 

I'm going to have to contact @doug atkinson to see if he has some 10" clear housing's 
If it had an orange tinge it could be rust from iron pipes that have been flushed and/or silt residue from mains of any type : cast iron, ductile iron, pvc or other. These sediments can get disturbed during flushing. The removal of them being the reason for maintenance flushing in the first place. That, or disturbance after a repair, or mains being cut and drained for a tee piece connection being cut in for a new housing development. I used to do a lot of these connections through the night when I was in that line of work.

The next issue is the strong likelihood that the main would be injected with extra chlorus to sterilise it after. This risks damaging the carbon filters and ROs. If you know in advance that there's going to be work on a main it's well worth filling everything up in advance and giving the water supply plenty time to settle if at all possible before using it to process.

I use blue translucent housings for my two sediment filters so I can see and monitor them.

 
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If it had an orange tinge it could be rust from iron pipes that have been flushed and/or silt residue from mains of any type : cast iron, ductile iron, pvc or other. These sediments can get disturbed during flushing. The removal of them being the reason for maintenance flushing in the first place. That, or disturbance after a repair, or mains being cut and drained for a tee piece connection being cut in for a new housing development. I used to do a lot of these connections through the night when I was in that line of work.

The next issue is the strong likelihood that the main would be injected with extra chlorus to sterilise it after. This risks damaging the carbon filters and ROs. If you know in advance that there's going to be work on a main it's well worth filling everything up in advance and giving the water supply plenty time to settle if at all possible before using it to process.

I use blue translucent housings for my two sediment filters so I can see and monitor them.
They replaced a lot of pipework in 2019 which went on for weeks and this is one of my sediment filters from then  , but they didn't do all of it locally, so yeah no doubt the silt. 

I am thinking clear housings are the way forward more so if there is ongoing works in the future our part of the street which was built in 1940 the road is concrete and hasn't been disturbed at all so I am guessing it will be old cast iron pipe work. 

sediment.jpg

 

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