We flush our fire hydrants every year beginning in April. Hydrant flushing keeps the interior of our water pipes clean, which leads to excellent water quality and ensures hydrants work properly.

Crews begin flushing on the west side of the city and move east until complete. Flushing is typically completed in about 5 weeks. Starting each year in April you'll be able to use an interactive map below to look for our progress.

2026 Hydrant flushing will begin April 13. See schedule below.

• April 13-17: Northwest section — north of Highway 34 and west of Colorado Avenue.
• April 20-24: Southwest section — south of Highway 34 and west of Colorado Avenue.
• April 27-May 1: Northeast section — north of Highway 34 and east of Colorado Avenue to Denver Avenue.
• May 4-8: Southeast section — south of Highway 34 and east of Colorado Avenue.
• May 11-15: East section — north of Highway 34 and east of Denver avenue.

Brief water discoloration is normal during hydrant flushing. Shifts in water pressure can stir up naturally occurring sediment in the waterlines, causing rust-colored or cloudy water. Although the water may look different, it still meets or exceeds all state and federal standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act. If you notice discolored water, feel free to run your tap until the discoloration clears. 

To avoid staining, customers should not do laundry while the water is discolored. If laundry becomes stained, items should not be placed in the dryer, as heat can set the stain. 

Have a question about your water, or an issue related to hydrant flushing? Use our troubleshooting tool to diagnose and get the support you need, browse our water quality FAQs, or give us a call: 970-962-3721.

Hydrant flushing map

Our interactive hydrant flushing map helps you track hydrant flushing progress as crews work west to east across Loveland.

Why we don't recapture hydrant flushing water

Many people wonder why the water released during hydrant flushing cannot be collected and reused. While the idea sounds efficient, the reality is more complicated.

Hydrant flushing requires water to move through pipes at high speeds to clean the system. This strong flow removes mineral buildup, improves circulation within the system and helps maintain water quality. Because the process depends on strong flow from hydrants located throughout the community, capturing that water would require specialized equipment, trucks and staffing at each flushing location. In addition, any collected water would need to be transported and, in many cases, treated again before it could be safely used. Creating that type of collection program would significantly increase operational costs, which ultimately affects customer rates. For this reason, most water providers have determined that recapturing hydrant flushing water is not practical or cost-effective.

It is also important to know that the water released during flushing is not wasted

It flows into the stormwater system where it supports green spaces or returns to natural waterways such as the Big Thompson River, nearby lakes and local reservoirs. The water continues to support the environment after it leaves the hydrant. 

By protecting the integrity of our water system, hydrant flushing also helps prevent future water loss or waste in uncontrolled situations.

If you have questions about hydrant flushing or how we maintain the water system, email UtilitiesInfo@cityofloveland.org or call 970-962-3721. We are always glad to help.