Firefighters to test hydrants

Archive for Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Chief says residents may notice change in water

March 30, 2005

During the next few weeks, Tonganoxie firefighters will be testing the more than 200 fire hydrants throughout town.

And that could mean water flowing out of taps in Tonganoxie homes and businesses could look a little dirty, according to Fire Chief Dave Bennett.

"It's just clarity," said Bennett. "Sometimes it stirs up a little of the sediment that's in all of the water pipes. It takes a few hours to calm back down and get back to normal."

Firefighters planned to begin their annual tests this week. And at a rate of 15 to 20 tests a week, Bennett said it will take a couple of months to blanket the entire city.

Firefighters will be measuring how much water pressure is available at each hydrant, as well as how many gallons per minute will flow through each hydrant, Bennett said.

In addition, they'll perform maintenance on the hydrants, to ensure they're in good shape in case they're called into service during a fire.

Bennett said his crews would start in the outer subdivisions of Tonganoxie and work toward the center of town.

"We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause," he said.