PORT ORCHARD — Fire hydrants for the City of Port Orchard will be flushed the week of Oct. 21-25 as part of the water system’s regular maintenance schedule, officials said Thursday.

The public works department said corrosion and low flows in pipelines can reduce water quality in the city’s system, making it necessary to periodically perform system flushing from fire hydrants and other outlets.

Officials said in a news release that individual hydrants will be turned on to allow full flow during the flushing. Residents will notice water flowing along the street at times. In addition, the large flow of water will stir up any naturally occurring sediment in the water mains. The annual inspection, according to public works, flushes the sediment from the water system.

During the week of maintenance flushing, officials said it is possible that customers will notice sediment in the water at their house faucets. If this occurs, residents are advised to turn off all inside faucets, then allow water to run from an outside hose bib or the cold water — not hot water — tap of the bathtub for a few minutes until the water runs clear again.

Questions about the maintenance effort can be directed to the public works department at 360-876-4991.