Case Study: Automatic Flushing: The Cost-Effective Way To Improve Water Quality

By Teri Orr and Robert Galvin

Consolidated Utility District (CUD), located in Murfreesboro, TN, is a large water system that encompasses over 13,000 miles of both urban and rural water lines throughout Rutherford County.

In early 2006, CUD received a notice of violation from the state of Tennessee for exceeding disinfection byproduct limits. At that time, their flushing program consisted of two employees that would address problem areas as needed. The process was time consuming and ineffective.

When CUD began receiving customer inquiries because of the required public notice regarding the violation, Assistant General Manager Bill Dunnill contacted The Kupferle Foundry Company located in St. Louis, MO, to search for a solution. After consulting with CUD and assessing the problem, Kupferle suggested using the Eclipse model #9700 portable automatic flushing device. CUD ordered three units and began using them in the field.

Focusing on the most troublesome areas first, CUD began to test the effectiveness of the 9700s, which attach directly to any fire hydrant. Dunnill states that "CUD saw immediate water quality improvement" and subsequent testing proved that the units had a positive impact on disinfection byproducts.