After nearly three months of work, Calaveras County Water District distribution crews have finished flushing the entire water system serving the greater Valley Springs area. Over the course of the effort, CCWD crews used 174 hydrants to flush more than 400,000 feet of pipe, or about 78 miles. The District thanks customers for their patience and understanding while flushing was taking place.

Flushing is a normal part of the District’s Operations and Maintenance program to maintain drinking water standards. When flushing, crews ran high volumes of water through pipes to “scrub” off minerals that have built up inside of the pipes. The minerals that were dislodged mixed with the water and were flushed out of the system through fire hydrants. The District will dechlorinated the water that was flushed so it does not harm the environment.

The flushing process normally takes place every year. However, during the later years of the severe drought from 2012-2015, the state prohibited water agencies from flushing , unless it was required for public health and safety. Now that weather conditions have improved and there is no longer a statewide drought emergency, CCWD has resumed normal flushing operations.

With the greater Valley Springs area flushing operations complete, flushing will begin in Copperopolis, Ebbetts Pass and other areas of the District in the months to come. Updates and information regarding future flushing operations in each area will be posted on www.ccwd.org.

Those with questions or concerns about the District’s flushing operations may contact the CCWD Customer Service Department at (209)-754-3543 or customerservice@ccwd.org.