During the months of April and May, Hickory firefighters will implement the annual hydrant inspection and maintenance program throughout the City of Hickory service area. During this process, firefighters and public utilities personnel will be working very close to busy streets while actually flowing water from hydrants. For the safety of all, motorists are encouraged to reduce their speed and exercise extreme caution when recognizing their path of travel will pass nearby hydrants being operated.

A news release from the Hickory Fire Department says as a consequence of flushing, sometimes this operation causes brief discoloration. If this should occur, call the City of Hickory at 828-323-7500 to flush the main line. After the main line is cleared of discoloration, homeowners should turn on an outside spigot to clear up the water inside the residence. Refrain from using hot water as soon as possible after experiencing discoloration to prevent the Hot Water Heater from getting discolored.

Since there are greater than two thousand hydrants located in the city, this process is expected to will take several weeks to complete. Although checking these hydrants will take place on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m., occasionally, firefighters may have to make various checks during weekends and after-hours when it is impractical or not feasible to do so during the weekday.