In order to ensure that all of Schererville's fire hydrants are in good working order, and to flush town water mains of rust accumulation, Water Department personnel conduct fire hydrant testing each summer.
You may also see the Water Department crews at work testing the hydrants. When hydrants near your home are exercised, you can expect to see a temporary discoloration of your water. This is because the high velocity flows, which connect to hydrants, scour rust particles from the inside of iron water mains.
While most of the rust is flushed from the pipe, a small amount will remain suspended in the water. This rust is harmless and the water may be safely consumed. The discoloration will dissipate in a few hours (depending on neighborhood water use). You may wish to allow your (cold) water to run so that the service line to your house is also flushed out. One word of caution: Rust will stain light colored laundry. When hydrants near you are being tested, please be sure that both your cold and hot water are rust-free before you launder any whites. In the event that such staining occurs, there is a remedy. Most grocery and hardware stores carry laundry aids which remove rust stains.