WALHALLA FIRE DEPARTMENT GETTING READY FOR BI-ANNUAL HYDRANT FLUSH

The City of Walhalla Fire Department will begin testing and flushing the more than 200 fire hydrants in and around Walhalla beginning April 20th. You will see firefighters out working on hydrants during the months of April and May.

This is part of their bi-annual hydrant maintenance schedule. This maintenance activity is necessary to ensure that hydrants produce the needed amount of water needed during a fire and to identify any problems. Unfortunately, during testing, there may be pressure drops and discoloration of water near areas where hydrants are being flowed. This is only temporary and is caused by running large amounts of water through pipes that may have not been used recently. Where there is discoloration, running the water for four to five minutes usually relieves the problem. The department recommends that citizens not wash clothes until the discoloration has cleared in an effort to prevent staining.

Hydrant testing in the business district will be conducted after hours to reduce the effect on businesses and customers. For more information on hydrant testing please contact the City of Walhalla Fire Department at 864-638-4345.