Water authority welds hydrant steamer connections shut

Has anyone heard of a water company doing this anywhere else? The Bear Valley Joint Authority (BVJA) in Franklin County, Pennsylvania has welded shut the steamer connections on its hydrants. BVJA is concerned if firefighters hook up to the hydrant via the connection it will collapse the pipes in its system.

Fire companies that serve Hamilton, St. Thomas and Peters townships, where the hydrants are located, say BVJA never consulted with them or alerted firefighters the connections would be welded shut.

BVJA told PublicOpinionNews.com that fire companies were told several years ago not to use the connection. Previously, to prevent use, the caps were painted black and spot welds that could be broken off kept the caps in place.

(Thanks to Kory Alspaugh for sending this story to STATter911.com.)

Jim Hook, PublicOpinionNews.com:

BVJA Manager Glynn Kindelan said, “We have in the past notified the fire departments that the ‘steamer connection,’ one of three connections on the fire hydrants, is not to be used due to the possibility of creating a negative pressure on our distribution system which could cause our pipes to collapse and put our customers without service.”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” (Franklin Fire Department Chief Mark) Trace said. “And if that’s their reason, why did they weld shut the ones being fed off the water tanks? If a negative pressure is created in the system by a fire engine, what will collapse first, the soft fire hose or the metal water mains?”