VIDEO: Between April 21 and July 21, the Columbus Division of Fire will tackle the mammoth task of flushing each and every fire hydrant.
"There are thousands of them," said Battalion Chief Steve Martin.
Each hydrant is flushed to be sure it's in proper working order. If firefighters discover an issue, they alert the proper authorities to schedule repairs.
"We are kind of the eyes and ears and hands of the hydrant," Martin said.
Firefighters said checking each and every hydrant is crucial to public safety. They cautioned homeowners could notice discolored water when they turn on a faucet in their home within a few hours of the hydrant flushing in their neighborhood.
"You might see something in your drinking water, you might have some ice cubes that have a funny taste and one of the worst things we worry about is if you're doing that load of whites, they're going to come out a different color than you put them in," Martin said.