All Germantown residents allowed to resume 'normal use of water' again after flushing taps, officials say - FOX13 Memphis

All Germantown residents allowed to resume 'normal use of water' again after flushing taps, officials say | News | fox13memphis.com

GERMANTOWN, Tenn. - Germantown city officials said Thursday afternoon that all residents can use water as "normal" again.

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, residents can begin flushing and resume consumption and "normal use of water" from the city system, officials said.

However, residents should "not be alarmed" because "some sediment or discoloration from their taps as a result of the extensive flushing of City water mains that has taken place over the past few days."

"Sediment exists in all water systems and will settle as usage returns to normal," officials said in a statement.

Germantown released the following statement as the city returns to clean drinking water:

"Customers must flush lines to remove water that has been standing in interior pipes. Those who have not detected the smell of diesel in their home, may simply open the faucets and allow them to run for five minutes. Those who detect an odor from the water during flushing or who have previously experienced an odor in the water in their home should follow the more extensive process below or watch a detailed explanation at https://www.germantown-tn.gov/Home/Components/News/News/8108/30:

Step 1: Open a couple of cold water taps and run for 15 minutes to clear the customer service line from main.

Step 2: Open each cold tap one at a time and run that for 5 min to clean that specific line. Begin nearest to where water enters the building and move toward the farthest tap. Repeat for the rest of the cold taps.

Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 but instead running hot water through the taps. To flush your water heater, fill a bathtub and drain twice.

Step 4: Any dishes or clothing washed while the restriction was in place should be rewashed.

Step 5: Water-using devices may require additional cleaning steps in addition to flushing (e.g., discarding ice). Consult the device manufacturer’s maintenance instructions.

If residual odor is detected in the water after this more extensive flushing process is complete, please repeat the process a second time. If odor persists, contact customer service at CustomerService@Germantown-TN.gov or (901) 757-7200."

Below is the original story:

More Germantown residents can resume regular use of water starting today, the city announced.

Moments after the City of Germantown said that people west of Kimbrough Road to the western city limits and those north of Poplar Avenue to the city limits could begin the process of flushing their water, more residents were added.

City officials announced around 11:45 a.m. on July 27 that people from Kimbrough going east to Forest Hill Irene Road could also begin flushing their water.

Residents should open up their taps and run their water for five minutes. If you don't see or smell anything unusual during that time, city officials said that your water is safe to consume.

If you do notice an odor or if you previously noticed an odor coming from your water, the City of Germantown said to flush the water for 15 minutes to clear the customer service line from the main line.

The link to the interactive map is here.

The city says it is "imperative" that residents wait to resume usage until their area is released to begin flushing.

Residents should first flush. If you do detect an odor or see anything unusual, here are the steps the City of Germantown said you should follow.

Step 1: Open a couple of cold water taps and run for 15 minutes to clear the customer service line from main.

Step 2: Open each cold tap one at a time and run that for 5 min to clean that specific line. Begin nearest to where water enters the building and move toward the farthest tap. Repeat for the rest of the cold taps.

Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 but instead running hot water through the taps. To flush your water heater, fill a bathtub and drain twice.

Step 4: Any dishes or clothing washed while the restriction was in place should be rewashed.

Step 5: Water-using devices may require additional cleaning steps in addition to flushing (e.g., discarding ice). Consult the device manufacturer’s maintenance instructions.

If residual odor is detected in the water after this more extensive flushing process is complete, please repeat the process a second time.

If odor persists, contact customer service at CustomerService@Germantown-TN.gov or (901) 757-7200.

The city has been flushing out contaminated diesel fuel in its system since a compromise in a water pump generator happened shortly after utilities went out in the county thanks to a storm.

RELATED: GERMANTOWN ISSUES 'TEMPORARY STOPPAGE' AS CITY WORKS TOWARD LIFTING WATER RESSTRICTION

Officials said that multiple testing in the past day has indicated that nearly all of the contamination has been removed.

In order to reach a conclusive test, the city is asking for residents to conduct a unified flushing of its home tap water.

But to do so, they first want residents to hold off on watering their lawns and gardens, while they continue to hold off on using their water for any other use minus flushing toilets.

The city says the any discoloration is a "result of the extensive hydrant flushing that has taken place over the last week."

On Thursday, FOX13 cameras caught Germantown's automatic sprinkler system was running near City Hall on city-owned property about 6 a.m.

We reached out to city officials.

The spokesperson said:

This morning, the City's contractor is working to disable all of our irrigation systems manually. They have not been able to get around to all of them yet as we have a very large system.
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