Winterization of Private Fire Hydrants
Once the leaves change and the temperature drops, it is time to start planning for winterization of fire hydrants, both public and private.
Winterization is important because it is not uncommon for leaks to occur within the hydrants.
The leaks cause the hydrant barrel to fill with water and freeze, rendering them inoperable.
Public fire hydrants are inspected and maintained by District personnel.
Owners of private fire hydrants must inspect and maintain their hydrants to ensure they remain in good operating condition.
This is most important in the winter season when structure fires are more likely to occur.
Fire hydrants are unique to the water supply industry and few people outside the industry are trained and experienced in their operation and maintenance.
With that in mind, BTWD offers a hydrant annual inspection and winterization service to owners of private fire hydrants.
This service is optional and is offered for a fee to recover our expenses.
Two levels of service are offered:
| Option A $100.00 | Option B $200.00 |
| Visually inspect each hydrant before pressurization | All services provided in Option A |
| Check valve on hydrant supply line to ensure it is fully open. Some hydrant supply lines are not individually valved. | Bi-weekly inspection of each hydrant to check for hydrant internal valve leakage and icing of hydrant barrel. This is performed during winter months only when the risk of freezing occurs. |
| Pressurize hydrant and inspect for leakage | A written report of bi-weekly maintenance is available upon request. |
| Depressurize hydrant, pump out water from barrel, check for leakage of hydrant's internal valve | |
| Lubricate hydrant, if applicable | |
| Provide written report of inspection listing any defects and recommendations, if applicable | |
| If requested, prepare cost estimate to repair defects. No repairs made without owner's authorization. | |
| Install hydrant flag | |
| One week from initial check, BTWD will do a follow-up check to see if hydrant is filled with water. |
To be most effective, the initial inspection should be performed prior to the onset of winter, so timely response to this program is imperative. Removal of snow leading to and around hydrants is the owner's responsibility. Under Option "B", the owner shall be responsible to remove snow and maintain the vehicular access to each hydrant to allow District personnel to perform the bi-weekly inspections.
We will also provide immediate notification of any problems we detect during inspections that require immediate attention.
Any hydrant found to be inoperable or have defects that pose a risk to people or property if operated will be taken out of service.
If this occurs, you and the Town Fire Department will be immediately notified.
The District shall not be held liable for any change in hydrant condition between inspections.
Should you decide to subscribe to this service, please contact our office by clicking the link below.
We have been providing this service for more than 20 years and we hope it has met your expectations.
If you have any questions or comments, please call our office at 207-729-9956.