Russell expressed his concerns to the county utility department, which had a simple explanation for the valve. Robin Avenue, like many neighborhoods, has a relatively low water usage, meaning residents don't use enough water to keep it flowing through underground pipes. When water sits in the pipes for a long time, it can develop a discoloration and bad taste and smell, Talley said. Stagnant water in pipes also runs the risk of losing the chlorine disinfectant that the county puts in the water to keep it safe for drinking. State law also requires water systems to purge water that might have lost its disinfectant.
Some neighborhoods have valves that can be opened and closed by hand.
Other areas need to be flushed more than once a day, so the county has installed automatic valves similar to the one on Robin Avenue. The county has 120,000 water customers, including some cities that sell their residents water purchased from the county. The county has eight automatic valves in its system and flushes 650,000 gallons per day from its pipes to get rid of stagnant water, Talley said. That is less than 1 percent of the total amount of water the county sells every day. The county, which for years sent employees to Robin Avenue to open and close the valve, installed an automatic valve less than a year ago.