Service Authority Seeks to Improve Water Quality in PWC

Photo Courtesy Prince William Service Authority

by Kipp Hanley

Prince William County Service Authority

The more drinking water moves, the healthier it is for consumption.

That is the idea behind the Prince William County Service Authority installing automated flushing stations throughout the 1,000 miles-long distribution system. From Woodbridge to Haymarket, seven stations have been installed in the last several years at “dead ends”, which are typically at the end of a water main and in cul-de-sac streets. This is done in order to improve the quality of the drinking water for nearby customers.

“If we have two or three water samples with low chlorine residuals where it would require us to manually flush, that may be a good spot for an automatic flushing station,” said Operations & Maintenance Director Don Pannell.

The flushing station is on a timer, periodically releasing the water from the main into a nearby ditch that flows into a storm drain. These devices, which are typically housed in small rectangular green boxes, blend in to the natural surroundings. In fact, in one case, a flushing station in mid-County is literally disguised as a rock formation.

Aside from the health benefit, the installation of these flushing stations also negates the need for Service Authority employees to have to manually flush the line on a regular basis. This saves the Service Authority significant amounts of time and manpower.

The installation of these flushing stations is not mandatory but it’s one of several measures that the Service Authority has taken to ensure water quality in the distribution system. Laboratory technicians also measure the chlorine residuals in “dead end” areas where there are no flushing stations to ensure the quality of the water for nearby customers. If the chlorine residuals are low in those areas, the Service Authority can manually flush the lines to improve the water quality.

“The Service Authority’s customer service focus drives us to monitor water quality above and beyond what is required by regulations,” said Environmental Services & Water Reclamation Director Evelyn Mahieu.