Unidirectional Flushing Program, Shrewsbury, MA

Tata & Howard recently developed a unidirectional flushing (UDF) program for the Town of Shrewsbury, MA. The project included converting the existing water distribution system hydraulic model from WaterGEMs to InfoWater, preparing water system flushing maps, delineating flushing zones, and preparing a sequential UDF for the water distribution system from sources to system extremities following the American Water Works Association (AWWA) published guidelines referred to as “Rules for Flushing.”

The program successfully identified sequences of valves to close, hydrants to flush, flow rates, and required duration. Worksheets were prepared for each sequence, including identification of hydrants and valves to be operated, pipes to be flushed, approximate discharge flow, and recommended flushing duration.