AWWA DSS54625

In the spring of 1998, the City of Portland Bureau of Water Works started a unidirectional flushing program for cleaning 1,700 miles of water main. This paper explains the strategies that have been adopted to facilitate development of this program in an environment in which discharges are severely limited. These strategies have included education and stakeholder involvement, development of best management practices, and technical improvements to make meeting regulations easier. It was very important that all the strategies were undertaken, one alone would not have resolved the issues. The paper also explains the use of geographic information systems for mapping of flushing runs and discharge limitations for easy use by flushing crews, and water quantity and water quality regulations are discussed. Includes 11 references, tables, appendix.