Before Reopening, Flush Internal Drinking Water System In Buildings
CLIFTON, N.J., May 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As businesses start thinking about how and when to reopen, they should also think about the water that's been sitting in the building's internal water system for weeks or even months. To help protect their employees and visitors, it's important to flush the building's internal water system before allowing the building to be occupied.
When water sits inside pipes, fixtures and tanks for long periods of time, the disinfectant in the water dissipates and loses its effectiveness. As the disinfectant dissipates, it could allow microorganisms to grow in your building's internal water system. Some of these microorganisms may have the ability to cause disease in some people.
Another risk is that of lead leaching into the drinking water. When drinking water leaves the treatment plant, it's treated to coat the pipes and fixtures to keep lead out of the water. But when water sits in the pipes for extended periods of time, the coatings can weaken and destabilize. As this occurs, lead particles can dissolve and get into the drinking water.
To avoid these risks, Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC) is urging owners to flush their building's internal water systems before allowing people to occupy the building. If staff are available, flushing should begin now, even if the building won't be occupied immediately. Flushing early will result in less deterioration of water quality in the building and a quicker return to normal conditions.
PVWC is mailing notices with instructions to all commercial property customers and has placed step-by-step instruction on its website. To learn how to flush your building's water system, visit www.PVWC.com/Buildings or contact the Customer Service Department at 973-340-4300.
Passaic Valley Water Commission is New Jersey's largest public water system providing reliable, high quality water to approximately 800,000 people in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, and Passaic counties.
Media contact: Ms. Lendel G. Jones at 609-332-4821 or [email protected]
SOURCE Passaic Valley Water Commission
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