Businesses should flush water lines before resuming operations after COVID-19 closures

The City of Mesa Water Resources Department advises businesses that have been closed due to COVID-19 restrictions or any other reason to flush their water lines before resuming normal operations. When unused, water lines can become stagnant and accumulate sediment. To ensure the best possible water quality, the following steps are recommended to safeguard tap water will be ready to use.

• Locate the water line going into the building and, if there is one, turn the hose bib on all the way and allow the line to flush (flow) for three to five minutes. It is recommended to use a white five-gallon bucket while flushing to confirm the water is free of debris and any discoloration.
• If there is no hose bib, start with the first faucet inside the building and flush the cold side only for three to five minutes.
• Turn on both the cold and hot taps at each sink to flush for another one to two minutes. Running the hot water will turn the water over in the water heater that may have gone stagnate.

Flushing water lines adequately will help businesses be ready to receive customers and ensure that the water used to drink, cook and use in all activities will be as fresh as possible. Please contact the Water Quality Division with any questions at (480) 644-6461 or water.quality@mesaaz.gov.

Contact: Kathy Macdonald, Water Resources (480) 644-4364 kathy.macdonald@mesaaz.gov