Beware of brown water in campus faucets.

Facilities Planning and Management is working on flushing hydrants across campus to clear them of sediment, which can build up in the pipes over time, said Mike Murray, engineer for the department.

He said the flushing process might cause reddish-brown water to flow in older lines around campus. The discoloration comes from rust exiting the pipes.

Students living in Frederiksen Court were notified by e-mail, and signs posted in the buildings said the hydrants would be flushed. The process occurred Friday and Monday, but a number of students said they haven’t noticed any changes in their water.

Greg Vander Sluis, sophomore in horticulture, said he hasn’t noticed any changes in the water in Frederiksen Court.

But Margaret Shangle, sophomore in electrical engineering, said she was concerned about the colored water.

“I do laundry a lot, so it kind of bothered me,” Shangle said. “But I was able to get around it.”

Murray said the sediment and infestations that build up against the walls of pipes cause the water to flow out faster than usual.

Correcting the problem is relatively simple, he said.”Run the water faucet for a few minutes until it appears clear,” Murray said.

The water is not harmful for consumption, he said, but could stain white laundry.

He said running the water will allow it to clear, but the time it takes to clear will vary from apartment to apartment.

Murray said the hydrants are also checked during this process to make sure they are in good condition. He said flushing the hydrants is necessary for water quality purposes and to get the water to flow as quickly as possible.

“Hydrants get flushed on an annual basis as a maintenance issue,” he said.

Murray said the utilities department is in charge of flushing the hydrants.

The flushing is usually done as fill-in work between other utilities jobs.