More D.C. Hydrants May Be Broken

This root-encrusted hydrant in the Tenleytown area was reported about six months ago and recently replaced by the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority. (Courtesy Of D.c. Department Of Fire And Emergency Medical Services)

In recent months, firefighters have found high numbers of broken hydrants in some neighborhoods. Some yield no water. Others work but have leaks, low water flow or structural damage from car accidents and other mishaps -- these are given "high priority" for repair.

In the area north of Shaw, for example, 16 percent were out and 12 percent needed immediate repair. In the Capitol Hill area, 15 percent were not working and 18 percent needed urgent attention, fire department records show.

Some neighborhoods were not so hard hit. In Cleveland Park, 7 percent were out of service and 10 percent required quick repairs.

Many of the broken and high-priority hydrants have been fixed by WASA.

The issue came to the forefront April 30 when firefighters were unable to draw water from the two hydrants closest to a three-alarm fire at the Georgetown public library. They wound up using hydrants about two blocks away. In that case, the trouble did not seriously hamper the fire department's response, officials said.

At the hearing yesterday, officials couldn't get a definitive answer on the number of hydrants in the city. Fire department and WASA officials said they think there are about 9,000, but they said they are still counting, identifying and cataloging them.

Mendelson said he was surprised to learn that the city government doesn't have a complete hydrant inventory. "It's clear, when you get down to it, they don't know what's going on," Mendelson said of the fire department and WASA.

WASA is spending $26.5 million to fix and upgrade hydrants -- a sign, Johnson said, that the agency is working on the issue.

"We've got to start somewhere to get our arms around this problem," he said.

The controversy puts Johnson back on the hot seat with D.C. officials. Johnson was WASA's head when concerns emerged three years ago about high lead levels in D.C. drinking water. The agency was criticized for not quickly alerting the public; it later agreed to replace all lead pipes in the city.

Mendelson was indignant about some of WASA's broken hydrants. To illustrate his point, he held up color photographs that showed hydrants swallowed by tree roots, hidden in weeds and tilted on their sides. He asked Johnson why such conditions exist, saying that in the case of the tree root, it took many years to grow.

Johnson said he did not have an answer, then added: "I would have expected a resident to call it in."

Fire officials said that hydrant, in the Tenleytown area, was reported to WASA about six months ago and was recently replaced.

Questions also emerged about an additional 3,000 hydrants that are within city limits but are on federal or private property, such as universities or parkland. The fire department said it uses those hydrants to fight fires, but WASA says it is not responsible for counting or maintaining them.

Mendelson said he is not sure that the federal government and private property owners are aware they need to maintain their hydrants and said he would consider amending city law to include them under WASA's jurisdiction.