Photo by Kevin H.

With the temperature rising around the District this week, surely some may be tempted to go old school and crack open one of the city’s fire hydrants in search of some refreshment. But the city is getting an early start on reminding residents that they would really prefer it if you let the hydrants be. This morning, we got the usual reminder from the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department and DC Water that resident residents who tamper with the city’s hydrants are potentially to blame when firefighters are unable to find a working water supply.

As the weather heats up, the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department and DC Water are reminding District residents not to open fire hydrants to cool off.  Unauthorized hydrant use can hamper firefighting, damage the water system and cause injury.

“Fire hydrants are for fighting fires, period,” said DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins. “Only trained personnel with specialized tools should open them. Tampering with a hydrant can damage the hydrant, the nozzle and the underground pipes in the water distribution system.”

“Public safety is our highest priority,” added Fire Chief Kenneth B. Ellerbe. “Opening a hydrant illegally can lower the water pressure and seriously affect our ability to fight fires. Also, the highly pressurized water can knock a person down and lead to injury.”

To be fair, there are plenty of other ways to stay cool, like checking out one of the District’s free public pools, requesting a “misting tent,” or visiting one of the District’s many air-conditioned museums. And given its well-documented issues with hydrants, there’s no doubt that the District is certainly justified to plead with the people to not use them for recreational purposes.

But let’s be honest — much like the city’s antiquated shoveling law, I’m not sure a $100 fine upon conviction is really going to stop anyone who really wants to bust open a hydrant come the dog days.