On May 15. 2018 the City of Louisville Fire Department will begin its semi-annual fire hydrant maintenance. Hydrant maintenance will be for the most part conducted between the hours of 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Saturday although there may be some occasions where personnel will be required to work later in the evening. Please be mindful of our personnel when approaching the fire department vehicles on the side of the road.
Residents may notice some temporary discoloration in the water. The discoloration of water is not harmful, and is the result of sediment that is always present in waterlines being “stirred up” during hydrant testing. As part of testing procedures, the Fire Department will flow each hydrant until the water is clear, however smaller water lines that lead to each house or business may still have cloudy water. If you notice discolored water it may be remedied by flowing water from your faucets, and a cycle through your washing machine until it is clear.
Fire hydrant maintenance is important in order to ensure the City has properly working fire hydrants. The hydrants are inspected, flowed to check for adequate water flow, and cleaned around to ensure there is enough clearance for operation of the hydrant.
A quality fire hydrant maintenance and inspections program is just one of the many components that the Mississippi State Rating Bureau evaluates when an audit of the city’s fire protection is completed. The City of Louisville currently has a fire rating of 7 with 1 being the highest, or best, and 10 being the lowest, or least desirable. Simply stated conducting these hydrant inspections, and maintenance assists in keeping property insurance low, and could possibly help in lowering insurance cost at the same time. Also fire hydrant flushing helps to insure that your firefighters are knowledgeable about the general water volumes available for firefighting operations and whether there are any major flow changes since last year’s test. Hydrant maintenance is critical to fire suppression and the protection of life and property.
If you have any questions regarding hydrant maintenance, and inspections feel free to contact The City of Louisville Fire Department at 662-773-9402.
