Bangor Water District customers may notice their tap water become a rusty color when the district begins flushing pipes later this month, but it will still be safe to drink.
The district will flush new water through its 200 miles of pipes to clean a sediment called tubercules that develops inside water mains and restricts flow, said Vaughan Littlefield, construction services manager for the Bangor Water District.
The district flushes its pipes to clean the buildup every other year because it can impact the pipe’s performance and decrease water pressure for customers, Littlefield said.
As new water flows into pipes and the sediment breaks loose, it can give water a rusty color, Littlefiled said. It will still be safe to drink and bathe in and shouldn’t taste different. However, Littlefield advised customers not to wash white laundry during the cleaning because the sediment can stain.
The flushing process will begin on April 29 and likely take until September to finish, Littlefield said. Customers won’t be affected for the entirety of those months because crews will move to different locations within the district’s service areas.
The Bangor Water District is an independent municipal department that supplies water to 10,700 accounts across seven communities — Bangor, Eddington, Hampden, Hermon, Orrington and portions of Clifton and Veazie. The district also provides water to the Hampden Water District for distribution.
If customers are unsettled by the color or notice a change in the taste or water pressure, running the tap for up to 30 minutes should resolve the problem, Littlefield said.
If customers have questions or concerns about the process, Littlefield said they can call the Bangor Water District at 207-947-4516.