Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) schedule for spring main water flushing are announced.

Pre-flushing in Falconer will start at 1 p.m. Friday, May 3, in the areas of Aldren, Mapleshade, Ralph and Valmeere. The entire Village of Falconer will be flushed from 8 p.m. Saturday, May 4, overnight into Sunday, May 5, until Falconer flushing is completed.

Water in the Village and on the north side of Jamestown can be expected to discolor when the Falconer flushing procedure occurs.

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 from May 6-10 and Monday through Wednesday, May 13-15.

The exception will be on Wednesday, May 8, 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) could experience discolored water that day, even though their own streets are not directly flushed.

Flushing of the mains 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 April customer newsletter contains a two-page color-coded map showing which areas will be flushed on which days. The maps also are posted on www.jamestownbpu.com and will appear in the Jamestown Post-Journal on April 27.

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.

BPU commercial and industrial customers recently learned 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.

BPU Communications Coordinator Becky Robbins notes, “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. 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.