If you are experiencing discolored water due to the March 19 water main break that occured at N. Academy Blvd. and Maizeland Rd., we have several tips for you.
You can try “flushing” your water service line. First, run water from the spigot closest to the main (usually an outside hose spigot) for 10 to 15 minutes. If the spigot does not clear up, the water in the main is still discolored.
Wait another 4 to 5 hours and try again. When this water from the spigot runs clear, run cold water through each faucet or spigot in your home for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the water is running clear again.
While this may not completely clear up your water because of the severity of the break, it will still help clear the water system of the sediment.
Though you may be concerned because the water is discolored, it still meets or exceeds Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) guidelines for safety. The discoloration you see is not dirt, but rather iron that is in the line and has been stirred up.
We recommend holding off on doing laundry right now, if you can, especially light or white-colored loads. The iron that is currently in the pipes can stain your clothes a rust color. If you are using your water heater, this can also pull some of the iron into the water line.
- We recommend draining your water heater when the water is running clear again.
- Almost all water heaters have a drain valve at the bottom.
- It is recommended that you do this once a year as part of a preventative maintenance schedule anyway, so now would be a good time to drain it.
- For information on how to drain your water heater, please refer to your owner’s manual.
If you are impacted by this water main break and have specific water quality concerns, you can call our laboratory at (719) 668-4560.
Background on the water main break
The water pipe that burst was a 30-inch main and is about 60 years old. We have a lot of aging infrastructure on our water system, which we are in the process of actively replacing as budget allows.
The water main break occurred near a gas main and with electrical lines located overhead. We are coordinating not just with our water operations department, but also with our gas and electric crews to clear the area and make sure it is safe to work in.
As soon as the break has been repaired, we will be flushing the lines and fire hydrants in the area, which could once again stir up sediment in the lines, causing more discoloration in customers’ water.
We do not yet know when the break will be repaired, but we expect to have most of Academy and Maizeland closed down through the weekend. We are asking motorists to avoid the area if possible.
As soon as we have updated information on when the roads will be re-opening, we will share that on our social media channels.
We want to say thank you to the Colorado Springs Police Department for their assistance in marking off the area. We’d also like to thank the dozens of employees who have been working this situation around the clock since about 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
