Flush Your Building’s Plumbing Systems before Re-Opening

Directors of Hampton Roads’ water utilities, including Newport News Waterworks, advise business owners and operators who closed or evacuated buildings due to COVID-19 to thoroughly flush their establishment’s plumbing systems before reopening.              When water is not used, the disinfectant in the water dissipates over time. Without chlorinated water flowing through the pipes for an extended period, microorganisms can grow in water pipes, fixtures and tanks. Prolonged water stagnation also can diminish the normal, protective scale on interior pipe walls. Without the protective scale, metal from the piping may dissolve into the water.
During the flushing process, stagnant, existing water is replaced with fresh water, which has been continually treated and monitored by the region’s water utilities throughout the COVID pandemic. Visit the Newport News Waterworks website for a graphic on how to properly flush your plumbing systems