Zero Discharge Flushing

Today, most water flushing is conducted by opening the fire hydrants. However, the Zero-Discharge Flushing (ZDF) process utilizes a trailer-mounted pumping, filtering, and re-chlorinating system that circulates the water within the municipalities’ water distribution system. The ZDF unit is connected with large hoses between two fire hydrants, which creates a temporary “loop” in the water distribution system. A pump on the unit circulates water at prescribed velocities, and it is passed through a series of filters, which remove intentionally “stirred-up” sediment and particulate matter. Disinfectant can be added to further improve water quality and ensure safety, something other methods cannot achieve. Inline turbidity meters indicate when desired clarity levels are met, taking the guesswork out of knowing when the flushing has achieved its purpose. The result is improved water quality, increased disinfectant residuals, conservation of two vital natural resources — water and the energy it took to pump and produce it — all at a lower cost without taking the value of the saved water into account! Since very little water is lost with the ZDF Process, NPDES issues are eliminated. Additionally, the flushing typically doesn’t require that any sections of the distribution system be valved off.