Gainesville Fire Chief Jon Canada said while it may appear that the water is being wasted as the hydrants are flushed, that's not the case. He said as much of the water as possible is redirected to storm drains, which allows water to flow back to Lake Lanier.
What firefighters are looking for is the water pressure reading from each hydrant, as well as water flow from each unit.
"When they [firefighters] have a fire, they're able to see what hydrant they're using and know that that hydrant may have, let's say, a thousand gallon-per-minute capacity," said Canada.
Besides checking the water capacity for each hydrant, firefighters will perform routine maintenance on each unit.
"Most hydrants have oil in them, so we check the oil level and add oil if it needs oil," said Canada. "And, then we lubricate also the threads on the cap, so that we make sure those are easy to put on and easy to put off, you know, when they're needed."
Canada said also that testing should not be an inconvenience to residents or businesses, although the flushing might cause some water discoloration. Running faucets for a couple of minutes should clear the problem.
This testing process is actually part of a routine maintenance program necessary to maintain the integrity of the water system. It's also a requirement of ISO, the organization responsible for surveying a community's ability to provide adequate water for fire protection, Canada said. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best, the City of Gainesville is one of only 15 fire departments in Georgia with an ISO rating of Class 2. Lower ISO ratings typically lead to lower insurance premiums for residential and commercial property owners.
Testing a Gainesville fire hydrant in Dec. 2007. (File photo)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/3/236783