Wednesday, March 7, 2001
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Wednesday, March 7, 2001 |
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Engineers seek solution to fire hydrant concerns By DAVE
HAMRICK
Engineers for the Fayette County Water System this week are trying to find a way to install fire hydrants on low pressure water lines without bursting the lines. If they're successful, numerous Fayette residents who currently don't have fire hydrants in their neighborhoods may soon see their homes' safety increased. Edward Cole, a resident of the Cedar Trail neighborhood, told members of the county Water Committee that he understands that installing fire hydrants in his neighborhood might burst the pipes, but he suggested a little research might be in order. "I couldn't help but think there's got to be an alternative," Cole said during the committee's meeting last week. The problem all involved are trying to solve is that in some neighborhoods the water lines aren't built to handle the pressure that fire hydrants would put on them. The neighborhoods were built before the county's current stringent standards were in place, or they were originally on private systems that were later taken over by the county. When a fire hydrant is turned on, it suddenly pulls 1,000 gallons a minute through the water line. When it is turned off, the sudden halt to that intense flow sends pressure waves reverberating back through the system. It's known as the water hammer effect. In Cedar Trail and in several other neighborhoods around the county, the old lines aren't adequate to withstand that, and would have to be replaced before hydrants could be installed, said Tony Parrott, water system director. "When can I expect to get hydrants put in on the street?" asked Cole. "We've got quite a few of these lines that need upgrading and they are going to be done in a systematic way," said Water Committee Chairman Chuck Watkins. It will take years, said Parrott. Cole suggested installing pressure reducers, but that's "hideously expensive," said David Yeager, of the county's engineering firm, Mallett and Associates. It would cost about as much as replacing the lines, he said. But Yeager was guardedly more optimistic about Cole's second suggestion, "some sort of ratcheting device" that would close the fire hydrant valve more slowly and reduce the water hammer effect. "The theory is right," said Yeager. "Whether or not they have a hydrant that's geared that way, I don't know." He will find out the answer to that question and present it to the Water Committee at its next meeting, next Wednesday at 8 a.m. Regardless of the answer, fire hydrants will still not be available to every Fayette County home. In some cases, there's not enough water pressure to operate hydrants, even those that are already installed. Upgrading lines to those areas is part of the water system's long-term plan, said Parrott. "We're presently at about 5 percent of the hydrants that don't meet the flow," he said. "We're also working to get water to areas that do not even have water service," he added.
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