The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities announces dates of fall water main flushing.

Pre-flushing in Falconer will start at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, in the areas of Aldren, Mapleshade, Ralph and Valmeere. The entire Village of Falconer will be flushed from 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, overnight into Sunday, Oct. 1, until Falconer flushing is completed.

During the Falconer flushing of mains, water is expected to discolor in the village and on the north side of Jamestown.

Flushing of the remainder of the BPU Water Division system will take place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 2-6; and Monday through Wednesday, Oct. 9-11.

The exception will be on Wednesday, Oct. 4, when flushing will begin at 4:30 a.m. to accommodate downtown Jamestown and Fairmount Avenue businesses and restaurants. Residents on streets and neighborhoods located near West Third Street, Harding and Fairmount Avenue (Route 394) that day could experience discolored water, even though their own streets are not flushed that day.

Flushing may discolor water, especially when the process takes place in the customers’ immediate areas, near their scheduled flushing days. Customers may see discolored water at any time during flushing, even on days other than their scheduled flushing days.

The BPU’s August customer newsletter contains a two-page color-coded map section showing which areas will be flushed on which days. The maps also are posted on www.jamestownbpu.com and will appear in The Post-Journal on September 23.

Flushing location maps also may be found in the BPU Customer Service Office, the Jamestown City Clerk’s Office, the James Prendergast Library and at Town and Village Offices in communities affected by flushing.

The BPU recently informed commercial and industrial customers of their flushing dates by automatic calls. Residential customers, whose phone numbers are current on their accounts, may expect to receive such calls two-five days in advance of their flushing days.

Customers with questions about flushing and their flushing dates may call the Flushing Hotline at 716-661-1613, the BPU Customer Service Office at 716-661-1660 or communications at 716-661-1680.

“If you receive voicemail when calling, please leave your address, the names of the streets at the end of your block and your phone number,” said Becky Robbins, BPU communications coordinator. “BPU employees will return calls with flushing location dates and with answers to any questions.”

The main precaution customers may take during water main flushing is to check for discolored water before doing laundry and to avoid pulling discolored water into their hot water tanks. The BPU also suggests putting aside water for cooking or drinking a day ahead of their flushing days because the discolored water appearance is unappealing. Should discolored water enter the household, it may be expected to clear in 12-24 hours.

The BPU flushes water lines twice a year to remove naturally-occurring sediment that may gather in pipes. As flushing occurs, employees also check on the condition of the hydrants and fix any problems that they may find. Water main flushing is a normal process used in communities throughout the country.

For questions, refer to the BPU Flushing FAQs at www.jamestownbpu.com or call the Flushing Hotline at 716-661-1613, communications at 716-661-1680 or the Customer Service Office at 716-661-1660.