Firefighters discovered a faulty hydrant while fighting a blaze in downtown Bellevue last month. The incident could lead to an annual water-pressure testing of all hydrants in the city.
"We couldn't get sufficient flow to sustain an aggressive attack," said Bellevue Firefighter Pat Rainey, the commanding officer during the blaze.
Rainey said two other hydrants nearby were then tapped to fight the blaze—which broke out midday on Fourth Street on July 27—successfully.
Public Works Director George Tanner said on Monday that he was awaiting information from the hydrant manufacturer on how to fix the hydrant, which could not be opened completely.
"It will be either replaced or fixed," said Tanner. "It was a waste of time when minutes count."
City Councilman Larry Plott called attention to the hydrant after reading from a weekly public works report at a City Council meeting Thursday.
Bellevue Fire Captain Trent Shoemaker said at the meeting that testing the city's fire hydrants can be problematic because residents complain about the mess made by water spraying from hydrants and hoses during the process.
Tanner said the city has a water pressure tester that could make the process simpler and less intrusive.
Mayor Chris Koch called for the Fire Department and the Public Works Department to work together on a spring maintenance plan.
"Preferably each spring," Koch said in an interview.
"Its all a matter of scheduling the hours and the people," said Tanner.
The city will continue an upgrade of its water mains this fall, a project that will bring new hydrants to parts of the city.
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
