It is a part of city maintenance that often gets overlooked – it’s less noticeable than putting up the Christmas decorations downtown, and less requested than paving in potholes in city streets…but flushing the hydrants throughout the city limits is equally as important.
Last week, public works employees of the City of Chattahoochee could be spotted throughout the city, flushing water out through the city’s hydrants.
While it may look like a redundant task, Public Works’ Water/Sewage/Natural Gas Department Foreman Joe Scott says it is a much-needed task.
“It helps ensure the hydrant lines are free of sediment, debris…that would clog the lines up,” said Scott. “It keeps the water flowing through the hydrants.”
Should a fire break out in Chattahoochee, firefighters with the city’s fire department depend on fast-flowing water in the hydrant system to put the fire out – a block due to debris or sediment could be disastrous.
Scott says the city flushes their hydrants once a year, always in December, and each hydrant only takes a few minutes to be flushed.
It is a task that only takes a short amount of the city workers’ time – but saves a lot of time for firefighters.
Ashley Hunter – editor@prioritynews.net
