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Water Quality Department
Flushing
Why does Passaic
Valley Water Commission flush water mains?
Flushing is done to
clean out our water pipelines by removing rust or sediment that may
be present in the pipe.
Rust, mostly iron and
manganese, builds up all year and is deposited on the inside of our
water mains. These minerals are harmless, but as more and more
people start watering their lawns and turning on sprinkler systems,
these minerals can become loose and end up in your water supply.
Our flushing program
takes care of this problem in a few minutes, but can also create
some problems for you, our customer. If you are running water when
we are flushing, you could get some dirty water. If this does
happen, you should not run your hot water or do any laundry. Turn on
and run your cold water until the dirty water clears out of your
pipes, then flush your hot water tank by opening the valve at the
bottom of the tank. If you are doing laundry, do not dry these
clothes. Washing these items again will normally take care of this
problem, but if this procedure does not solve the problem, you can
contact our
Customer Service personnel at 973-340-4300 for help.
We would like to
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Flushing is done to
prevent problems and insure that you have fresh drinking water at
all times.
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Responses to Water Quality Questions
FluoridePVWC does not add fluoride to
your drinking water. There is a very small amount of naturally
occurring fluoride in the water, but it is insignificant in terms of
dental health. |
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HardnessWater in our service area is
moderately soft; it ranges from 4 to 8 grains per gallon. |
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Water Softeners
We do not recommend the use of
water softeners in our service area. Further softening the water may
cause corrosion of your plumbing system that could lead to costly
repairs. |
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Color (black, brown, yellow,
orange)
Water discolored from rust has
no health significance. Although it is safe to drink, it is
understandable that people will find it aesthetically unappealing.
Customers should be advised to avoid doing laundry until after
discoloration clears. |
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Color (other) If water is described as any
color (blue, red, green, purple, etc.) other than what might be
caused by rust, notify your supervisor and the Water Quality
Department immediately! |
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Taste and Odor Refer all taste and odor
complaints to the Water Quality Department. |
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Cloudy, milky
appearance Cloudy/milky water is usually
caused by air dissolved in the water. Suggest that the customer take
a glass of cold water from the tap and set it on a flat surface. If
the water begins to clear (from the bottom up) within a few minutes,
it can be concluded that dissolved air is the cause of the cloudy
appearance. If the water in the glass does not clear, or if it
contains particles that settle to the bottom of the glass, refer the
customer to the Water Quality Department. |
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Water Filters We do not recommend the use of
water filters in our service area. Our water meets all quality
criteria established by the United States Environmental Protection
Agency and needs no further treatment. Filters, if used, must be
maintained according to manufacturers' instructions in order to avoid
bacterial growth and/or release of slugs of contaminants.
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Medical Symptoms Refer all inquiries and
complaints regarding perceived water-caused illness to the Water
Quality Department. |
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Lead Refer to the pamphlet "What
You Should Know About Lead". If testing is requested, residents of
Clifton, Passaic, Paterson and Prospect Park can pick up sample
containers at PVWC,
1525 Main Avenue, Clifton.
Residents of Lodi can pick up sample containers at the Lodi Public
Library. There is a
$15 fee for lead analysis,
billed after the sample is analyzed and results are
reported. Alert the Water Quality Department of any
instance of a household that has a child
with a high blood lead level. |
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Water Sampling Water provided to customers in
our service area is thoroughly and frequently monitored for
approximately 90 potential contaminants. Testing at individual
households is usually unnecessary. If the customer insists, refer to
the Water Quality Department. |
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Water Quality
Reports Water Quality Reports are
prepared annually and are mailed to all postal patrons in our
service area no later than July 1 of each year. Extra copies will be
made available to the
Customer Service Department
for mailing to customers who request detailed information. |
