In late September, Sturgis Department of Public Services spent a week conducting a twice-yearly flushing of hydrants.
The process typically takes place each April and September.
The fall ’24 flush involved work by 10 crew members, rotating three or four each day throughout the week.
During the project, city workers purge 300,000 gallons to 500,000 gallons per day, according to Tom Sikorski, director of public services.
“The variation in gallons flushed depends on how many hydrants are flushed that day,” Sikorski said.
Of the city’s 626 hydrants, 29 required maintenance in addition to the flushing. Among those, 10 were classified as a “priority 1” situation, meaning a mechanism is non-functional. The repair process was completed by the end of the project week, Sikorski said.
