Stafford County Utilities crews will begin hydrant flushing in the southeastern part of the county starting September 29, 2025. The process is expected to continue until early December and will take place in the Falmouth and George Washington districts, covering areas south of Eskimo Hill Road and mostly east of Richmond Highway.
According to county officials, hydrant flushing is performed on a rotating basis each year to maintain water quality for residents, businesses, and firefighters. “To continue delivering the highest quality water possible to residents, firefighters and Stafford County businesses, Utilities crews conduct hydrant flushing on a rotating basis throughout Stafford County yearly,” the department stated.
The process involves opening fire hydrants to increase water flow through the system. This helps remove minerals and sediment that accumulate in water mains over time. Residents may notice some discoloration in their tap water during this period. “When hydrant flushing occurs in your neighborhood, you may notice a slight discoloration in the water from your faucet. This discoloration consists primarily of harmless silt and air and does not affect the water’s safety. If this happens, simply run your cold water tap for three to five minutes. You should always avoid using hot water until the cold water runs clear,” officials advised.
Unidirectional flushing will be used as part of this program. The Utilities Department has also prepared an online map for customers to determine if they are within the affected area. More information can be found at www.staffordcountyva.gov/flushing.
Stafford County is also home to one public school district that enrolled 31,700 students during the 2023-24 academic year https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home. Brooke Point High School had the largest enrollment among local schools with 2,242 students https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home.
During that same period, white students made up nearly 39% of enrollment in county schools while Hispanic students accounted for about a quarter of all students https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home. Enrollment increased by 1.7% from the previous year’s total https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home.
Rising Star Early Childhood Education Center at Melchers served more than half of all pre-kindergarten students enrolled in Stafford County during 2023-24 https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home.
