If you’re seeing brown water coming from the faucet at your house, don’t panic and call a plumber. It’s more-than-likely the result of hydrant flushing being done by the Oxford Fire Department.

Over the next several months, OFD  will be conducting fire hydrant flow testing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Up to two fire crews will be inspecting and flushing between 30 and 40 fire hydrants each day to measure flow rate, identify repair needs and pinpoint hydrants not in service. This could result in brown water for some residences and businesses, which should clear up in four to six hours.

Flushing hydrants is necessary to ensure the municipal and fire district grading for Oxford is maintained or improved under Mississippi State Rating Bureau requirements. As such, water supply systems include water mains and hydrants, along with inspection and flow testing accounting for 40 percent of the grading.

The Oxford Fire Department and Oxford Public Works Division will publicize the specific neighborhoods or areas that may be affected by fire hydrant flushing and testing in the city of Oxford website, Facebook, Twitter and WTNM (Super Talk MS 93.7).