When firefighters arrive at a blaze, the last thing anyone wants is uncertainty about whether the nearest hydrant will work.
In Worcester, Massachusetts, City Manager Eric Batista's report to the City Council noted 39 of the city's 6,084 hydrants were out of service. Fire Chief Martin Dyer added that, in some cases, crews discover those failures only when they try to use a hydrant, The Worcester Guardian reported.
Here's what to know
Dyer told councilors that Worcester's system was built with redundancy and that crews can see which hydrants are in service and which are not.
When a hydrant has been identified as nonfunctioning, that status is marked both on the hydrant itself and in city systems. The top is painted black, and the outage is documented for the water department and fire crews.
"It is on the fire department's response platform so that all of our officers are aware of that," Dyer explained, per the Guardian.
When Councilor Satya Mitra asked how the city determines a hydrant is not working, Dyer acknowledged the problem is sometimes discovered only in the moment.
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"Sometimes we're waiting until we actually try to use the hydrant to realize that it's not in service," he said, according to the outlet.
More background
Some hydrants have clear causes, Dyer noted, such as damage from a vehicle or snowplow or disruption tied to a water-main break.
In other cases, the challenge is the repair process itself, which can require shutting down a water main, coordinating city staff and outside vendors, and notifying residents whose water service could be interrupted.
Councilor Luis Ojeda cited a case involving two hydrants that were out of service in the May Street area.
"My concern is in that small block area, there doesn't seem to be any fire hydrants working," he said, per the Guardian.
Dyer said he believed the city was trying to coordinate repair work because it would affect the May Street water main.
What's being done?
Dyer said crews have alternatives when one hydrant is unavailable.
Hydrants are generally about 500 feet apart and often placed near intersections, and fire apparatus typically carry 1,000 feet or more of hose.
He said the city sometimes aligns hydrant repairs with planned road work so the projects can be done together, as the Guardian detailed. While that can delay a repair, it may also prevent repeated excavation and multiple service interruptions in the same neighborhood.
"We have backup plans ready to go," Dyer said.
Where can I learn more?
These stories look at similar hydrant problems.
• In Los Angeles, fire hydrants ran dry as wildfires pushed the water system past its limits.
• A buried hydrant left by a contractor sparked disbelief online over avoidable safety risks.
• In Manchester, Tennessee, officials warned a complete water system failure could follow unchecked demand.
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