City of Plano officials announced July 14 that it is increasing its hydrant flushing efforts as part of a necessary practice to ensure safe drinking water for residents during the hot summer months. Flushing keeps water circulating and helps the Public Works Department address specific areas of the system where problems are occurring, operations manager David Falls said. The North Texas Municipal Water District adds chloramines, which are a combination of chlorine and ammonia, to the water supply at its treatment plant in Wylie in order to prevent the growth of bacteria. Hot weather can cause those chloramines to break down, leaving the water unprotected. The flushing practice is the best prevention for making sure the water flows free of bacteria and is safe to use, Falls said. Flushing has currently increased in a small area of Plano’s water system in the Stoney Hollow and Shawnee Park neighborhoods, where tests have shown reduced levels of chlorine. Plano is required by state law to flush water regularly regardless of what its testing numbers indicate; however, if testing reveals elevated levels of bacteria it prompts the Public Works Department to increase the amount of water that is discharged, Falls said. “It’s not unusual for us to flush 1 million gallons [of water] a month regularly,” he said. “A lot of that comes from … the cul de sacs, or dead ends, where the water does not move like it does out on, say, Coit Boulvard, where it’s constantly circulating. If you don’t keep a close eye on it, that’s not being good stewards of our water system.” Plano’s water is treated when it is purchased from the NTMWD and is stored in elevated tanks throughout the city. The Public Works Department flushes the water out via fire hydrants, which can move large volumes of water, Falls said. The city has flushed more than 19-million gallons so far in July and more than 6 million gallons in June, according to city officials. Water flushed in 2015 accounts for less than 1 percent of the total amount of water delivered to residents so far this year.