The D.C. Fire Department, concerned about the number of broken fire hydrants that dot the city’s streets, has offered to inspect D.C.’s aging hydrants if the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority agrees to pay the bill.
Fire officials say they want to check D.C.’s hydrants twice a year to prevent delays that could result in catastrophic consequences, especially in the event of a terrorist attack.
The proposed memorandum of understanding was sent to WASA after a fire at the Georgetown library exposed that as many as 11 percent of the hydrants were out of service.
“Someone has to inspect them,” D.C. Fire Department spokesman Alan Etter said. “Clearly, the fire department has a vested interest in seeing that they work.”
WASA spokeswoman Michele Quander-Collins said the authority wouldn’t comment on the proposal until General Manager Jerry N. Johnson meets with D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin on Aug. 30.
The fire department began testing D.C.’s fire hydrants in April after two hydrants failed while firefighters battled a three-alarm blaze that destroyed the historic Georgetown Neighborhood Library.
Each day since then, six crews of four firefighters have driven the city streets, testing the lines and reporting the malfunctions to WASA.
They’ve even discovered more hydrants than expected, Etter said. WASA told the department there were 9,071 hydrants online; fire fighters have tested more than 10,000, he said.
The crews are finished except for a few hard-to-reach places. On Wednesday, crews completed their inspection of the White House hydrants, and on Sunday they’ll check the lines at the Third Street Tunnel, which will require street closings and the coordination of police and transportation departments.
Etter said he didn’t know how much the citywide inspections cost.
