Robert Leca/Staff Reporter
Citizens of Port Coquitlam may find their water cloudy as the city is doing annual maintenance.
On February 19, the city of Poco started to flush its water mains, aiming to improve water quality by flushing out built-up sediment. The water quality may seem inadequate for drinking and general use, but rest assured the quality is the same. Tap water may be affected in terms of look, taste, and smell, but the city declares that water remains uninfected. Water pressure may also decrease while the process is ongoing.
The city asks citizens to not use hot water during the process if they see flushing happening in their neighborhood, as to prevent sediment being flushed into their hot water tanks. The city also asks residents not to run laundry machines while their local water pipes are being flushed. This typically happens from 7 am – 5 pm, for the 12 weeks.
Once the flushing process is complete, Poco residents should run their cold water tap for 30 minutes to 2 hours to clear the water and return it to normal. To see where the flushing is happening, go to the city of Port Coquitlam’s website.
Flushing is a process in which water is shot down pipes with speed, aiming to eliminate waste built up in the pipe. The city of Poco flushes a third of its water mains each year to ensure everyone receives fresh, clean water.
The reason why water may become cloudy is because air gets in, making tiny bubbles. A couple minutes of sitting and it should turn back to normal colour. The water may also have a Chlorine taste, which is perfectly safe but maybe not ideal. To get rid of it, simply place the water in a container and keep it in the fridge. Overnight the taste should disappear.
Even though Gleneagles is a school that resides in Coquitlam, many students live in the Port Coquitlam area. The cleansing of water pipes will affect as much as a third of the residents of Poco, many of whom possibly go to Gleneagle Secondary. Without reading this article, people who try to drink water in Poco may think that their water is contaminated and not safe to drink, when it’s the opposite.
While this article is focused on the Poco area as the flushing has only recently started, it still is relevant to residents of other cities. Cities such as Coquitlam and Burnaby are also currently flushing, just not as much as Poco. This is something that every city does every year, and it is important to know when it’s happening and what to do and not do. At one point in time, this will affect every student and member of the Gleneagle community.
News Article used:
Images Credit:
- “9 Potential Reasons Cold Water Isn’t Coming out of Your Faucet.” Angi, 11 Dec. 2020, https://www.angi.com/articles/why-there-no-cold-water-coming-out-kitchen-faucet.htm.
- “Https://Twitter.Com/CityofPoCo.” X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/CityofPoCo. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
- Why Is My Water Cloudy and How Do I Fix It? http://mckennaplumbing.ca/blog/why-is-my-water-cloudy-and-how-to-fix-it.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
- TriCity News, 19 Feb. 2024, https://www.portcoquitlam.ca/city-services/public-works/watermain-flushing/.