TMWA Performs Fire Hydrant Maintenance
In addition to providing high-quality drinking water, TMWA is under contract to maintain over 10,300 public fire hydrants in our community. Hydrants are owned by the City of Reno, City of Sparks and Washoe County respectively.
To ensure reliability, maintenance is performed every two years and includes all fire hydrants that are connected to TMWA water mains. There are multiple steps in this service, which include cleaning, pressure testing and checking for leaks.
If issues are discovered by TMWA, the hydrant is marked by an “out of service” hydrant ring and Reno, Sparks or Washoe County agencies are notified to carry out the needed repair or replacement.
TMWA’s routine maintenance includes hydrant flushing or opening the hydrant fully to allow water to discharge at a high velocity. This removes sediment, rust and other debris from the hydrant and adjacent water lines which helps ensure that water quality in TMWA’s service area remains consistent.
After lines are flushed, customers may notice temporary changes in water pressure or color in their tap water. If this happens in your home or business, running tap water slowly for a few minutes will help air to escape from the lines and return water to normal.
When finished, TMWA fully cleans the hydrant and applies a fresh coat of paint if needed.
Basic Maintenance Steps:
Hydrants are examined every two years for damage, leaks and to ensure they are operational.
Inspection steps include:
- Ensure hydrant is accessible and free of obstructions.
- Remove and clean all caps.
- Check oil levels and fill as needed.
- Flush the drain outlet.
- Flushing the hydrant.
- Pressure test hydrant with corresponding system pressure.
- Check for valve leakage
- Check for proper drainage
- Clean/paint as needed
- Complete field inspection report
- Note repairs needed.
- Tag if unusable with “Out of Service” hydrant ring and notify proper agency.