The Portland Water District maintains a 900-mile network of water
mains ranging from 60 inches to 2 inches, pump stations, and reservoirs
that bring water from Sebago Lake to your home or business. A comprehensive
water main renewal
program and flushing program ensure clean
and fresh water.
Large water mains, transmission mains, extend from the treatment facility
to Westbrook and Portland. Having more than one transmission main
is not a coincidence. As with the whole distribution system, redundancy
is maintained to ensure minimum interruptions in water service.
Roughly
25 million gallons of water is kept in storage. This helps maintain
proper pressure, and it allows for a water reserve in case of an emergency,
like a fire or a flood.
Fire protection is a very important focus within the water distribution
system. In fact, public water flowed from Sebago Lake over 100 years
ago after devastating fires in Portland. After that, people realized
that private wells were no longer sufficient for fire protection,
or the increasing water demands in the Greater Portland area.
Because fire protection is so important, the 5,000 hydrants the District
owns are regularly tested and cleaned to ensure they are operating
correctly.
Annually, the Portland Water District FLUSHES its water mains. This
practice, which flows water through water mains at a high velocity
in the opposite direction of natural flow, helps ensure the water
that is delivered to your tap is clean and fresh. During flushing,
any sediment that may be in the mains is released out the hydrants.
Flushing takes place between April and October.
Flushing Schedule:
Week of
July 21
