If unusually high water flows occur in the water mains to due a main break, firefighting efforts, or during system flushing, then a customer’s water may be brown or orange in color. In this case, the water should clear up within several hours. Please not that the discolored water is still safe to drink. The City of Longview Utility Department conducts a flushing program to remove sediment that accumulates in the water main to minimize these causes of discolored water.