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Link to the article By Chris Coates
Sunday, April 19, 2009 Collinsville firefighter Chris Frawley twisted the metal wrench and a gush of water rushed over the grassy hill, right into the path of an oncoming car on Ramada Boulevard. The driver paused, then plowed through the thick stream with a "broosh."
"I don't know why people do that," said Lt. Mike Lutz, pointing to the canary yellow hydrant as another car drove through the stream of water.
Lutz and his crew are getting a lot of that lately.
The department last week started flushing half of the city's 1,200 fire hydrants, a time-consuming process that will take several weeks and countless water plumes like the one on Ramada.
The inspections make sure each device has the proper flow pressure, an important factor for crews battling blazes with hoses and trucks.
Too little pressure and lines won't be able to shoot water. Too high, and hydrants and home fixtures leak. The best is somewhere in the middle, usually around 1,000 gallons per minute, an amount that crews can find only by checking each hydrant manually.
"We'll do it eight hours a day as much as we can," said Lutz, holding a clipboard and global positioning device to locate the sometimes hidden fire plugs. Last year, they inspected about half of the hydrants, with the rest on tap from now until June, he said.
The task involves a jumble of gauges, pipes and wrenches that Frawley and firefighter Dennis Cooper lug from site to site in a blue Madison County recycling bin.
Thursday morning, it was the devices on Ostle Drive and Ramada, where the three-man crew found the next hydrant on the list - a freshly-painted Mueller Co. model - in front of a Denny's restaurant. After a few bolts and a twist of a wrench, the hydrant was spewing a thick cylinder of brown-ish liquid.
"Sediment. It kicks up that sediment," said Lutz, looking at the muddy cascade, which soon changed to clear water.
The sudden release of water, he explained, loosens dirt and other debris at the bottom of city mains.
The muddy liquid can also flow into home water pipes, sometimes alarming homeowners reaching for faucets, said Chief Pete Stehman. He said the crud goes away after a few minutes of running the tap.
"Just make sure it runs clean," he said.
Still, people complain to the department, especially if they just put a load of laundry in, said Fire Department secretary Pat Nelson, who fields the calls and offers tips for removing the stains. "Rust remover works best, not bleach," she suggested.
Nelson said she's also quick to remind people that the crews are just trying to make sure hydrants are ready when needed, which usually calms callers down. "Most people are very understanding," she said.
Better flow also helps drive down home insurance rates, since the city's Insurance Services Office rating - which sets how much insurance companies charges - is partially based on how ready municipalities are to battle fires.
Stehman said the agency checks department records and calculations on whether the hydrants pass muster. The Fire Department also coordinates with the Water Department to add more hydrants in areas with sub-par flow.
Back on Ramada, Lutz and crew finished checking the pressure and recapped the hydrant, as another car navigated the plume of water. Lutz said motorists should wait the few minutes for the tests. It's not worth the risk, he said.
"We don't want to damage their cars," Lutz said.
Hydrant flushing continues daily during regular working hours through June.
For more information, call the Collinsville Fire Department at 346-5022, ext. 141
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