The Water Department on Tuesday announced that Weston & Sampson, an environmental engineering firm that provides consulting for the town, has been contracted to provide a unilateral flushing program for the area.

“Crews have already begun the preparation work, which involves checking numerous gates and hydrants throughout the area,” Water-Sewer Department Manager Eric Carty shared in a statement. “Once the program has been designed, weather pending, it will be carried out late fall/early winter. This will help clear the mains of mineral sediment that has been causing the recent discoloration after being scoured from the main during recent events.”

During the previous two weeks, the town has experienced several instances of water discoloration. The most notable incidents have occurred in the neighborhood near the Ashland water treatment facility and the Alprilla Farm wells.The Alprilla Farm wells will be turned on Wednesday and monitored at the hydrants.

The town is working on a proposal to create a flushing plan for the entire town, according to Carty. At Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, Town Manager Norman Khumalo said the draft proposal should be ready in four to six weeks.

“Our engineers have also recommended turning our Alprilla Farm sources back on and running them consistently to help stabilize the water column from the aquifer,” he said. “They believe that the inordinate amount of rain this year has contributed to water quality issues causing the iron and manganese to come out of solution in the water and precipitate [water discoloration] more than normal.”

Recently affected areas were running clear over the weekend and when checked on Monday and Tuesday, according to the statement.