My Water is Discolored Brown

A nearby hydrant may have been hit or is flushing as part of routine maintenance which caused a minimal amount of sediment to enter the system. Sediment may discolor your water, but is not harmful. If your water is discolored during flushing, discontinue use and resume after your water runs clear. This could take up to two hours after flushing stops. The Water Division recommends you avoid showering and washing clothes during the hours they are flushing in your area until your water runs clear. Even though the water is safe to drink, the color in the water could discolor clothes.

If your water is a different color or remains brown for more than a day, please contact (714) 548-3687. 

My Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs

This is most likely not your water, but your P-trap. P-traps hold debris that have drained from the sink and prevents clogs deep within the plumbing system. P-traps can release an odor into the house which may smell like rotten eggs. To check if the water smells, fill a glass with water and take it outside the house (or at least outside the kitchen.) The water should be odorless. Running the water for several minutes will help eliminate the smell from your sink.

If your water smells once you've smelled it outside your kitchen, please contact (714) 548-3687. 

My Water Pressure is Terrible

Two main reasons cause pressure problems: water softeners and tankless water heaters.

Water softener: Water softeners require routine maintenance to clean the brine tank, resin tank and resin bed to maintain proper water pressure. Consult your owner's manual for cleaning maintenance schedule and requirements.

Water heater: Calcium buildup can effect a water heater's ability to function properly and can result in lowered water pressure. Consult your owner's manual for cleaning maintenance schedule and requirements.

If your water pressure is still low after maintaining your water softener and water heater, please contact (714) 548-3687. 

Fire Hydrant Flushing

Importance

The City of Westminster performs periodic fire hydrant flushing throughout the City to ensure Westminster’s water is clean, safe, and of the highest quality.

What is Fire Hydrant Flushing?

Fire Hydrant Flushing is an industry standard practice, regulated by California’s Department of Public Health, where water is pushed through pipes at a high velocity to scour the inside of the pipe and…

• Reduce corrosion within the pipe
• Remove mineral deposits and sediments impacting water’s quality, taste, and odor, and
• Exercise our fire hydrants and valves, ensuring their operation for emergency situations

Discoloration

Residents near the fire hydrant flush may experience temporary discolored water. This discoloration is a result of silt and small particles dislodged during the flush and is not harmful.

In the event your water becomes discolored, you can run cold water from a faucet for a few minutes until the water runs clear. When exercising your home’s water system, do not:

1. Run a faucet with an attached water filter as the sediments can clog your filter
2. Run a faucet with hot water as the sediments can be drawn into your hot water tank
3. Wash clothes while a fire hydrant flush occurs in your area

If discoloration persists, please contact Westminster Water at (714) 548-3687.

Stay Informed

Westminster residents can stay informed of scheduled fire hydrant flushing through Westminster’s social media and through signs posted in the active neighborhood

Westminster has completed the LSLI required by U.S. EPA’s LCRR. The deadline for the LSLIs is October 16, 2024. 

Through completing a historical records review and field investigations, Westminster has determined it has no lead or galvanized requiring replacement service lines in its distribution system. This includes any privately-owned or customer-owned service lines. 

Westminster reviewed all applicable sources of information, including: 

• Available construction and plumbing codes to assess historical regulation of lead service line disallowance (e.g. National Lead Ban, State Codes, County Codes, Westminster’s Codes);
• Available construction permit requests of Westminster, including 630 permits providing detailed information on the permits such as account number, address, permit (type, number, work class, issue date, status, description, application date, last inspection date);
• Inspections and records of the distribution system that indicate service line material, including inspections conducted during the course of normal operations (e.g., checking service line materials when reading water meters or performing maintenance activities), including 496 records collected in 2023; and
• Resource, information, or identification method provided or required by the State to assess service line materials such as customer data.

In addition to reviewing the above sources of information, Westminster used an alternative method to develop the inventory that was approved by DDW on a case-by-case basis. 

Westminster used stratified random sampling to develop the initial inventory. Stratified random sampling involves physically inspecting a subset of randomly selected service lines in the distribution system. That subset is stratified or divided into groups based on certain characteristics (e.g., years the service lines were installed). Stratification allows for a sample or subset of service lines to be more representative of the service lines in the distribution system. 

After investigating the subset of service lines, if no lead or galvanized requiring replacement service lines are discovered, the remaining service lines may be assumed non-lead with a certain level of confidence. 

Westminster inspected 3,246 service lines on the utility-side and 1,780 service lines on the customer-side, and the service lines were inspected non-lead. No lead or galvanized requiring replacement service lines were identified. 

Westminster intends to document service line material information obtained from normal operations, such as service line maintenance or water meter readings, after October 2024 and will update the initial inventory accordingly.