Written by If you thought the water issues were over, check your taps. Following a weekend of foul “organic” odors and a sudden switch from river to well water, Aqua Ohio has initiated an emergency system-wide flush of Marion’s water mains.
While the City of Marion’s newest update claims this will “expedite purging” the system, in the water industry, this is effectively a “Reset Button.” You do not flush millions of gallons of treated water down the drain unless the water currently in the pipes is unacceptable.
What “Flushing” Really Means
This is not routine maintenance. Routine flushing typically happens on a schedule (spring/fall). This is an emergency response designed to physically push the bad-smelling, “river-sourced” water out of the city and replace it with the new well water mixture.
However, the methods described in the City’s latest release raise serious safety questions.
The “Select” Method vs. The Industry Standard
The City stated crews are opening “select fire hydrants” to flush the compound.
- The Industry Standard: According to the American Water Works Association (AWWA) guidelines for “Unidirectional Flushing” (UDF), flushing must always proceed from a clean source (the plant) outward to the periphery. This ensures dirty water is pushed out of the system, not moved around.
- The Marion Way: Opening “select” hydrants implies “spot flushing” rather than a systematic scouring plan. Without controlling the direction of the flow, this method risks sweeping a concentrated “slug” of sediment and chemical byproducts into residential lines rather than out of the system.
The Hidden Danger: The “Scour” Effect
The biggest risk to residents right now isn’t just the smell—it is what the flushing stirs up.
- Sediment & Lead: Flushing relies on high-velocity water to “scour” the inside of pipes to remove biofilm and scale. In older cities like Marion, this turbulence can strip protective coatings and release lead particles or sediment into the water supply.
- Discoloration: Residents should expect brown or yellow water. This is suspended sediment and mineral deposits. Do not drink it.
CRITICAL WARNING: Do Not Follow The “Hot Water” Advice
In their recent update, Aqua Ohio and the City advised customers to “run their hot water for several minutes” to help remove the odor from water heaters.
We strongly advise against this until the flushing is finished.
Industry experts warn that you must only run the COLD tap (preferably a bathtub) to clear discolored water. Running hot water while the utility is actively flushing the mains pulls the scoured sediment and “muck” directly into your hot water tank. This can:
- Permanently damage your water heater’s heating elements.
- Allow sediment to settle at the bottom of the tank, reducing efficiency.
- Concentrate contaminants inside your home’s plumbing.
Action Plan for Residents
Since the City’s advice conflicts with best practices for sediment control, residents must protect themselves:
- Check Before You Wash: Do not run white laundry if your water is discolored; it will stain permanently.
- Don’t Drink the Brown Water: If water is cloudy or brown, run your COLD tap for 5–10 minutes until it clears.
- Do NOT Boil: Boiling discolored water does not remove lead or sediment; it concentrates it.
- Protect Your Appliances: Ignore the advice to run hot water. Keep sediment out of your heater by only using cold water until the street flushing concludes.
The Danger of “Copy-Paste” Safety Oversight
The vague response from Marion’s Public Safety Director Mike Bodine, and the city administration is deeply concerning because it appears to function less as independent oversight and more as a public relations echo for Aqua Ohio. By simply reiterating the utility’s claim that the water is “technically harmless” due to Geosmin, the Safety Director is asking residents to accept the word of the very entity that caused the disruption, without offering independent test data or verification. When a safety official effectively tells the public to “trust the process” while that process involves “select” flushing that contradicts established safety standards, they are abdicating their responsibility to protect the public from potential infrastructure hazards like lead scouring.
Furthermore, the lack of specific, actionable safety warnings in the Director’s response highlights a critical gap in technical understanding. While the city’s notice vaguely mentions flushing has “begun,” it fails to challenge Aqua’s dangerous advice to run hot water—a move that could ruin residents’ appliances and concentrate sediment in their homes. A true safety oversight response would not just repeat the utility’s “all clear” on the odor; it would aggressively question the methods being used to fix it.
The Critical Question: Is the Cure Worse Than the Cold?
Aqua Ohio advised that the “organic” compound causing the odor is Geosmin. While this confirms the smell itself is technically harmless, it raises a disturbing question about the company’s judgment.
If the issue is merely aesthetic, why did Aqua initiate a drastic “source water switch”—a move known to destabilize lead pipes? In the University Park disaster, the utility made a similar switch specifically to fix “taste and odor” complaints. They succeeded in fixing the smell, but the chemical change stripped the protective coating off the city’s pipes, poisoning residents with lead.
Aqua notes they have added carbon to the treatment, but are they are effectively running a chemistry experiment on Marion’s infrastructure to fix a nuisance? Residents deserve to know if the corrosion control chemicals were perfectly adjusted to match this new water mix, or if the “harmless” smell is being traded for a silent, invisible lead risk.
Works Cited (Click Here)
Unidirectional Flushing (UDF) – City of Rio Rancho / AWWA Standards https://rrnm.gov/2728/Fire-Hydrant-Flushing
Relevance: Cites AWWA standards to support the argument that proper flushing must proceed from a “clean source (the plant) outward to the periphery,” directly contradicting the “select hydrant” method described by the City.
FAQ: Unidirectional Flushing Program – Weston Municipal Utilities https://westonwi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4203/UDF-FAQs
Relevance: Reinforces the industry consensus that controlled flushing is required to permanently remove mineral and organic deposits, rather than just agitating them within the system.
Flushing Program Guidelines – RMSAWWA (Rocky Mountain Section of the American Water Works Association) https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.rmsawwa.org/resource/collection/1138191C-99C5-4AC4-B3BC-CCAE766A82BB/M_6_Flushing.pdf
Relevance: Provides the technical “Industry Standard” guidelines referenced in the text, establishing that high-velocity flushing requires specific directionality to ensure water quality safety.
Flushing Water Lines After Extended Shutdown – City of Cotati https://www.cotaticity.gov/350/Flushing-Water-Lines-After-Extended-Shut
Relevance: Supports the article’s discussion on the dangers of stagnant water and the necessity of flushing to remove biofilm and accumulated “organic” odors.
Maintaining or Restoring Water Quality in Buildings – United States EPA https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/documents/final_maintaining_building_water_quality_5.6.20-v2.pdf
Relevance: Validates the risk of “scouring” and chemical shock in older infrastructure, noting how changes in water flow or chemistry can strip protective scale and release lead or sediment.
Water Main Flushing FAQ for Consumers – Mass.gov (Massachusetts Dept of Environmental Protection) https://www.mass.gov/doc/water-main-flushing-fact-sheet-faq-for-consumers-0/download Relevance: Confirms that the primary operational reason for flushing is to clear “dead ends” where water stagnates and sediment accumulates, but warns of temporary discoloration risks.
Why is my water discolored? – City of Vadnais Heights http://www.cityvadnaisheights.com/Faq.aspx?QID=75
Relevance: Directly supports the “Action Plan for Residents,” specifically the warning to avoid running white laundry during flushing events to prevent permanent staining from suspended minerals.
Water Main Flushing Program – City of Torrance Public Works https://www.torranceca.gov/our-city/public-works/water-services/water-main-flushing-program
Relevance: Corroborates the “Sediment & Lead” warning, explaining how the high-velocity nature of flushing is designed to scour pipes but will inevitably cause brown or yellow water at the tap.
Water Main (Hydrant) Flushing – Prescott, WI Official Website https://prescottwi.org/304/Water-Main-Hydrant-Flushing
Relevance: Supports the consumer advice to “run your COLD tap” to clear discoloration and warns against using hot water (as the City advised) to prevent sediment from being drawn into water heaters.
What Is a Uni-directional Flushing Program? – Velocity Water Services https://velocitywaterservices.ca/resources/blog/what-is-a-uni-directional-flushing-program-udf.html
Relevance: Explains the danger of “Conventional Flushing” (flushing without controlling direction), stating that it often results in a “worsening of water quality” by simply “moving the sediment to other parts of the system” rather than removing it.