Photo by yospyn

It’s a very romantic notion—on an especially hot days, the kids head out into the streets and frolic in a pressurized stream of water flowing from their closest fire hydrant.

It’s also a terrible idea, and one that neither D.C. Water nor D.C. Fire/EMS is encouraging. In a press release sent out this morning—today’s gonna be hotter than yesterday, after all—both agencies warned kids and adults to stay the heck away from the fire hydrants.

As the weather heats up, the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department and DC Water are reminding those in the District not to open fire hydrants to cool off. Unauthorized hydrant use can hamper firefighting, damage the water system and cause injury. It can also flood streets, creating traffic dangers.

“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 and EMS Chief Kenneth B. Ellerbe. “Opening a hydrant 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.”

It’s an interesting change in policy from years past. During a particular hot streak in 1995, D.C. officials opened 17 specific fire hydrants near housing projects to help residents stay cool. The initiative was also launched to discourage residents from opening the hydrants themselves. Nowadays, though, D.C. has pools, aquatic centers, fountains, recreation centers, and senior centers. D.C. Water even has a misting tent that it loans out for outdoor community events.

If you do get caught tampering with a fire hydrant, you could face a $100 fine.