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Did you know... there are over 1200 fire hydrants in the city?
The Fire Department is dependent on a reliable supply of water to complete its mission of fire suppression. To that end they work closely with the water department to maintain all 1202 (and the number is growing as more land is developed) hydrants.
The Fire Department has two testing programs they use to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the water system for their use:
- The hydrant-flushing program tests the operation of each and every fire hydrant in the city twice each year; in the spring and in the fall.
- The flow-testing program tells us exactly how many gallons per minute, at various pressures, are being delivered in a particular area.
The testing is required by the Insurance Service Office (ISO) and must be completed at least once a year in order to maintain our ISO rating which directly affects insurance premiums.
The Park Ridge ISO rating was improved to a Class 3 in 2001 (on a scale of 10, with 1 being the best). This excellent rating places Park Ridge among the top 3% of more than 45,000 fire departments and fire protecton districts across the United States.
The testing process involves flowing water from each hydrant in the City. As a result, sediment is stirred in the water mains and may cause discolored water to flow into the homes and businesses of Park Ridge. Although the sediment may give tap water an unpleasant appearance, it is not harmful and can be cleared simply by allowing the faucet to run until the water clears.
The hydrant tests are conducted within geographical zones of approximately 16 square blocks. Once testing within a zone is completed (usually in one day) there should be no further problems with water discoloration, the department said.
The Fire Department makes an effort to contact every resident and business by telephone using the "reverse 911" system on the day the testing is scheduled to be conducted. However, there are circumstances that may cause multiple notifications to be made before the testing is actually completed. Such circumstances would include: calls for emergency service, Water Department restrictions, or the over lapping of notification zones.
Residents are asked to be patient.