Alcoa firefighters will test the city’s fire hydrants in the coming weeks. The process, which is part of nationally recommended safety protocol, could have harmless effects on customers’ water supply.
Firefighters will check hydrants starting May 7. According to a release from the city of Alcoa, the work is expected to end in July and will involve inspection, maintenance and flowing of the hydrants to ensure they are up to par. Although the tests won’t affect water quality, city staff say checking the city’s hydrants could cause temporary discoloration and affect laundry.
Most tests will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Firefighters will check industrial areas at night at a later date.
The city of Maryville finished testing its fire hydrants April 4.
Roger Robinson, chief of the Alcoa Fire Department, said the tests are necessary to ensure the city’s safety systems work properly. When approaching a fire, his crews need to know the hydrants nearby will work the way they were designed.
Most hydrants don’t get regular use, and a broken or dysfunctional hydrant could be catastrophic.
“Back in the 80s we didn’t test them annually like this, and we’ve run across issues years and years ago,” Robinson told The Daily Times. “Now that we do this every year, that doesn’t happen.”
Finding a bad hydrant is unusual, but that’s why the department checks. If firefighters find one that leaks or is difficult to use, they’ll put in a work order for a replacement.
Robinson said a team of two firefighters usually checks 18-20 fire hydrants a day.
“It keeps the water system clean, and it’s just very good preventative maintenance,” he said.
The only drawback is that checking the fire hydrants stirs up iron deposits in nearby water lines, meaning water in nearby homes can appear murky and brown. The condition, Alcoa staff said, is temporary and not dangerous. The water is safe to drink and cook with, but staff recommended not washing white clothes before checking for discoloration.
“If you see the guys testing in your area, turn your cold water on and let it run for a little bit to make sure it’s not muddy,” Robinson said. “If it does turn dingy brown, just let it run a few minutes until it clears up.”
Staff also recommended limiting hot water use until the discoloration clears to keep iron deposits from settling in water heaters. Anyone with questions should call the Alcoa Public Works Department at 865-380-4800.
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