The Ankeny Fire Department will begin flushing fire hydrants Thursday, April 1, 2021 through the summer. More than 2,000 hydrants will be flushed on the west side of the city this year, which includes all fire hydrants located west of Ankeny Boulevard.
Ankeny's water distribution system consists of hundreds of miles of water main and thousands of fire hydrants. Flushing the water distribution system helps to remove sediment and deposits that may have attached to the walls of the mains or simply settled out of suspension. Hydrants also need to be operated periodically to lubricate the internal mechanisms and check the overall functionality. If a deficiency is discovered during this inspection, most maintenance can be performed immediately. The end result is that the fire hydrants in your neighborhood are available for fire protection if there is ever a need.
If you are using water when the fire hydrant flushing process is occurring in your neighborhood, the water that we are scouring out of the water distribution system could be drawn into your home’s plumbing system. Although the water may be discolored, smell different and/or have a slightly different taste, it is safe to use. If water gets into your ice maker while we are flushing hydrants in your area, there is a simple remedy - after the water returns to normal, discard the discolored ice and the new ice will be fine. For most laundry loads, you may not even notice a change; however, white or light colored laundry may be affected.
Please contact Municipal Utilities Customer Service at 515-963-3565 with any questions. Learn more about hydrant flushing and water.