The Village of Peoria Heights and American Pipeline Solutions began a new main cleaning procedure, called Ice Pigging, on Monday, November 27. Certain areas will be targeted with this new process which is expected to conclude Friday, December 8. Residents in those areas received a letter detailing the process and will also receive door tags the day before. Similar to our hydrant flushing program, this process may stir up water mains in surrounding areas.
Ice pigging is an efficient, environmentally friendly way to flush water mains. It’s particularly effective at cleaning water mains that might be causing issues with discolored water as it’s very effective at removing particles and sediment from water main walls. This technique involves pumping an ice slurry through sections of water main to “clean” it. The thickness of the slurry allows the water mixture to rub along the edges of the water main, dislodging and clearing sediment, before the slurry is pumped out of the mains through fire hydrants. The process is more effective than typical hydrant flushing and is far less disruptive than other methods.
During the flushing process, a small amount of sodium chloride (table salt) may enter service lines. Customers should avoid using water during the time of the main cleaning and should run their cold water taps for approximately 2 to 3 minutes prior to using the water for drinking or cooking after the completion of the procedure. If a salty taste is detected, or the water becomes very cold, continue to run your tap for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Generally, if you detect a normal water temperature from your tap, you have sufficiently flushed out your service line. For healthy individuals, the increased sodium shouldn’t be a problem as most sodium intake occurs from salt in the diet. However, sodium levels above the recommended upper limit of 50 milligrams per liter may be a concern to individuals on a sodium restricted diet or those on dialysis. If you have concerns about increased sodium intake, please contact your health providers.
Door tags will be issued to notify residents the day before this process occurs in their area. Those receiving tags on a Friday can expect this process to occur the following Monday.