Fire department begins hydrant maintenance
Published 6:38 am Thursday, May 6, 2010
The southeast quadrant of Austin will be undergoing fire hydrant maintenance until the end of the month, and the fire department is telling citizens in the area to notify the department or Austin Utilities if they have any water problems in that time.
Brian Lovik, commander at the Austin Fire Department, said water problems are rare during the maintenance process, but noted that citizens sometimes come across rust-colored water.
If this is the case, Lovik said to call his department or utilities, both of which can provide water treatment. He said any clothes being washed in the rusty water should not be dried until after the treatment is applied.
In all, 147 hydrants are being worked on. Lovik said the process occurs every year, with firefighters rotating between the four city quadrants.