As North Carolina begins to reopen, Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC) encourages all businesses that have been shut down to take a few minutes and flush their plumbing system. It's an easy way to guarantee their water remains high-quality.
"If buildings are closed and water is not used for a long period of time, that water sits in the pipes and becomes stagnant. This creates the potential for bacteria to grow and sediments to accumulate." said GUC Water Quality Manager Anthony Whitehead. "We do not anticipate any problems right now because the temperatures and humidity haven't been too high during the shutdown, but we would rather err on the side of safety and ask our customers to take these extra precautions."
GUC recommends flushing pipes throughout the entire building, including all water-using appliances like ice machines and dishwashers. Flushing clears out the water that has been sitting during low-use periods and replaces it with high-quality water from GUC's supply.
"We have a general roadmap for how to flush contaminants from buildings on our website," said Whitehead. "Every building is different, and flushing will need to be tailored accordingly."
We've posted information on flushing guidance for periods of low or no use. If customers have questions or concerns, they can email us or call GUC at 252-329-2160.