It's that time of year again in Portage la Prairie for the water mains throughout the city to be flushed. Manager of public works Brian Taylor says it's done to maintain the best water quality for residents.

"Flushing is an annual program," he explains. "It will be starting late Sunday night. We work our way through the city with our unidirectional flushing program which is done in order to clear the mains of any iron and calcium scale deposits."

Older pipes see an iron settlement which is like a rust colour. This makes the water discoloured. It's not a serious issue, but Taylor says it's not aesthetically pleasing.

The program takes eight weeks beginning with the area that's nearest to the water source. They then work their way from there in order to ensure that the water is drawn while keeping the lines that are already flushed clear. Taylor adds when your area is completed, be sure to run your cold water until any yellow discolouration is gone before you use your hot water.

Click here: City flushing schedule: