June 10, 2008
WASA Begs Residents to Stop Opening Hydrants
The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority sent around word this morning that too many people, especially in Southeast, have been opening up fire hydrants during the heat wave over the past few days, and water pressure in some areas is now very low as a result. The agency says they'd really, really like it if you would stop opening up those hydrants and playing in the resulting spraying water.
The public is reminded that unauthorized use of hydrants is illegal. Such activity will cause low water pressure and service problems for customers and can damage the underground water infrastructure. Loss of adequate water pressure can have a negative impact on fire fighting when firefighters are unable to get enough water to suppress fires. Opening hydrants also poses a safety issue for young children who could easily be hurt from the high water pressure.We have a hard time believing the argument that little kids shouldn't play in spraying water from opened up hydrants -- that's so anti-summer, it's like suggesting kids shouldn't run after the ice cream truck, either. Still, it's a better idea to take advantage of the city's free outdoor pools and spray parks this afternoon instead of breaking the law and, even worse, creating a dangerous low water pressure situation that could hinder the efforts of firefighters.Over the last three days, most of the 20-plus locations of reported open hydrants have been in Southeast Washington. Other locations identified were in the southwest and northeast areas of the District. WASA has had to bring in additional crews to respond to low pressure problems caused by hydrant openings. The public is urged to report open hydrants by calling the WASA 24-hour emergency line at (202) 612-3400.
Photo by lifeinthedistrict
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how are these people opening up the hydrants? do they have a massive wrench or are they just running them over with their Escalades?
if getting wet is what they want, i'd be happy to help monkey launch them into the Potomac with a trebuchet.
The water from the hydrants is much cleaner than the water in the Potomac.
WASA should camp out on my street, b/c every other minute the hydrants are opened...shoot, on saturday they opened it, WASA closed it, and then by nightfall it was open again.
once a house burns down, the same people who opened the hydrants will bitch that the city didn't do enough to save the house from the fire.
and life will go on.
Young authority, in this household, we use a little word called "please."
Now, repeat after me: "Pretty please with sugar on top, can you stop opening the hydrants?"
The sugar is also cursed.
The water from the hydrants is much cleaner than the water in the Potomac.
))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
By golly if residents want to spray themselves down with lead soaked, e-coli farmed, corpse of the week rotting water, then by all means open them hydrants.
The water from the hydrants is water from the Potomac. Granted, it's been filtered, leaded, fluoridated, and chlorinated, but it's still grade-A Cumberland piss.
A vehicle jack is usually just the right size to hammer down on top of the hydrant to operate the valve.
Oh, and if WASA is so concerned about open hydrants, maybe they (or the police) should do something when residents tell them about open hydrants.
I've called WASA, 311, and 911 to report punk-ass kids and their parents opening fire hydrants, only to be told "don't call us if it's not an emergency." Hello? It's an emergency if the fire department doesn't have enough water pressure to fight a fire.
Plus, the hydrant that keeps getting opened is one block from the police station! Get off your ass and walk 200 feet down the street and arrest the woman who opened the hydrant. You know, the one with the big fucking wrench in her hand!
WASA should replace the water in the hydrants with lava. Problem solved.
ghettoburbs: damnitall, when will you learn that we don't prosecute petty crime in this city!
especially when someone calls in to complain about things.
except when we do.
doesn't that make sense?!?
In Chicago, where I grew up. The fire department would come around and open the fire hydrants to cool of kids. Keep people cool is pretty good way, or so the theory went, to lower crime. And since there aren't pools on every block (don't I wish!) it is much easier to keep track of your children at the corner playing in the fire hydrant spray than trekking to the pool.
Considering that WASA can't seem to even get all the hydrants in this city in working order, perhaps they should be happy that there are kids out there willing to test hydrants for them. And stop being such killjoys.
@DC1974: The issue from WASA's perspective is that open hydrants kills water pressure to residents. If you live next to a hydrant that's been opened, you'll have minimal - if any - water pressure in your house. And when you do get water pressure, you'll get nice rusty-colored water coming out your pipes for a while [insert Monkey story here]. So I don't think WASA is being a killjoy for this. All they need is a fire occurring nearby and DCFD having no water pressure for its hoses.
But aren't there some caps that can go on hydrants that will allow spray to come out, but not at full blast? I recall the NYFD had some of those they would install on some hydrants in summertime to deal with this same issue.
This seems to fall in the same category as illegal Sunday double-parking. As in: it's a technically a crime, but people have been doing it for so long the police won't enforce the law.
I don't know if it's Fenty, or Lanier, or somebody else, but I really wish this city would get off its collective ass and enforce the law when it is broken.
I'd also like a million dollars, in cash, delivered to my front door. Which is about as likely as seeing the cops do their jobs....
amen, Dude. amen. my feelings exactly.
You'd figure WASA and the fire department would use some advanced alien technology like padlocks that only they have the key to. But that's about as likely to happen as the President pronouncing the world "nuclear" correctly. HI-YOOOOOO!
dude: if you can get the law to be enforced in the city, you deserve to be the person on the quarter. screw douglass, ellington, and banneker...
This sort of behavior does not happen in NW. Crime runs rampant in the other quadrants, and by the looks of it the kids start early...
Why not issue hydrant sprinklers like they have in Philadelphia? The hydrants in Philadelphia also have special locks on the top that require a unique wrench not available at your local hardware emporium. For the most part over the last 30 some years they have done a good job keeping the wrenches in the hands of the sewer authority and the fire department. A few unauthorized people might have acquired them but that happens. Here in DC any fool with a big wrench can open a hydrant. Simple solutions that would keep the kids cool and the use of water under control. It works pretty well.
welles: honestly, who the hell are you, and where do you get off with your broad, stupid generalizations?
northwest. ha. do you know how big "northwest" is? do you know that it extend to cover areas east of the park? did you know that sursum corda and park morton are both in "northwest". it isn't all bucolic polo grounds and happy white folk here in "northwest".
gah....sorry, your comment just reeks of dumb.
I think it's great that this is happening in SE. Increases the likelihood that buildings burn down, then we can replace them with a nice condo and a Starbucks at ground level retail!
Last time I checked, Georgia Avenue, Petworth, Ledroit Park, Columbia Heights, were all in Northwest. I've seen spilling hydrants in those neighborhoods every summer.
Maybe the Foggy Bottom crowd isn't down with opening hydrants. But that's only because their wetnurses would thrash them for getting their monocles and spats wet. Then again, they can afford their own hired whipping boys.
The suggestion that the kids use the pools and spray parks is admirable, but if you look at the list, only two of the pools are in SE and none of the spray parks (where you report most of the problems are happening)....
Once again, like so many other things in our fair city, other cities have learned and found ways to deal with this (regulated openings).
As for the Welles poster, surely it just someone trying to be a rabble rouser because i cannot believe that anyone is actually that stupid.
imgoph, welles is a known troll (there is a poster with a similar icon who is legit.. mellbell, iirc)
>Last time I checked, Georgia Avenue, Petworth, Ledroit Park, Columbia Heights, were all in Northwest. I've seen spilling hydrants in those neighborhoods every summer.
Naturally, when I - or anybody else for that matter - we do not mean Petworth or any other demilitarized zone. And sweeping generalisations are perfectly fine when, you know, they just happen to be true -- rich, educated white children are not out in the streets wasting that most precious of resources.
The most precious resource.......is love.
Quick, someone get me the number for Hallmark! I've got gold here in them thar words!
Of course, the White Kids are being driven two blocks in an SUV that gets 12 miles to the gallon so they can have indoor/air conditioned tennis lessons. But damn those poor kids for spilling the precious seed of water! It's like they are masturbating or something! Which I suppose is far better than procreating as its quite clear we have plenty of poors as it is. As well as uneducated idiots to comment on blogs.
Politburo: Yes! I'd change my icon, but I'm pretty sure I had it first.
You stereotypical fuck! Now all white kids are being driven around in SUVs! There really is no answer to that kind of idiotic, one-note thinking.
(i know i'm feeding a troll here, folks...sorries)
welles: your initial sweeping generalization was geographic in nature, and now it's racial. sure, you can always be right when you change the rules as you go along.
any chance we can get this douche banned, a la "he who shall not be named"?
I don't see why we're blaming kids for what is obviously vandalism caused by irate, overheated morlocks.
Morlocks in heat - never a good thing. You don't want to be around to see what happens.
And you really don't want to be around Morlock gang initiations. Three words: claws, goats, and chupacabras.
imgoph based on gothamist, where there are several trolls like welles, there is no chance of a ban. Plus, banning trolls typically only strengthens their resolve.
Actually, the most precious resources are love and children. You know, all about the children.....
But apparently not actually loving on the children.
Speaking as a former fireman, I can tell you that people opening hydrants is a serious matter. It really can mean that houses burn down, people die, etc. In many areas water pressure is piss poor to begin with, and all it takes is an open hydrant somewhere to take the water pressure down to the point where you have better luck just pissing in the general direction of the fire.
Anybody that thinks it's cute and harmless to open hydrants is a fucking moron.
You just don't get this sort of behavior from rich, educated, orange Oompah Loompahs in NW. And yet their tax dollars go to subsidize this antisocial Wangdoodle behavior. I'm voting Ron Paul.
Hey, I think I still have a copy of "Morlocks in Heat." I got it at a 2-4-1 dvd clearance sale along with "Itsby Bitsy Gang Bang."
Nothing takes the edge off of a steaming day of hydrant hacking quite like subterranean albino midget porn.
OMG, Hillman, you were a fireman? I bet that made you popular at Titan! ;)
Meanwhile, color me shocked that a story about some people misbehaving in DC has spiralled down into racist baiting...
Morlocks and Oompah Loompahs are not "races," they're species to be enslaved and used as trebuchet fodder in our Holy War against the CHUDs.
If I do not return from the sewers, if there is to be treachery, let there be jihad. Let the streets run red with the blood of the infidels. We shall all eat lamb in Paradise.
The streets in NW are paved in solid gold, and the curb is studded in diamonds!
Thats why its way nicer to drive south on North Capitol Street than north on North Capitol Street.
registrationsucks: that's why i live on the bloomingdale side of the trench, not the eckington side.
And viz the American Apparel model in the yellow swimsuit, it's about time they hired more porn stars.
Yeah, I'll open the hydrant...IN MY PANTS!
Monkey...have always enjoyed your posts, but now I might be a little bit in love since you mentioned Wangdoodles...single-handedly one of the best.books.ever.
You all have your panties in a knot! Hell it's just part of the "culture" around here. Don't enforce dangerous projectile fireworks laws because it's "part of the culture" that way you can light some