Hydrants slowly coming alive in tunnel under the National Mall. Similar story on broken hydrants near Potomac Bridges.
Watch my 6:00 p.m. report on the 3rd Street Tunnel hydrants.
It was on August 28th that STATter 911 first told you about the broken hydrants in the I-395 tunnel under the National Mall. 28 of 36 hydrants were found to be dry during citywide hydrant testing conducted in the spring and summer by the DC Fire & EMS Department. Chief Dennis Rubin expected it would take a week or two to get the water running again in the tunnel.
Now, 7 weeks later, the hydrants are still officially out of service, but a DC Department of Transportation (DDOT)spokesman says water is actually flowing in 22 of the hydrants. Erik Linden says DDOT, working with the fire department and the DC Water & Sewer Authority (WASA), is making progress.
The out of service signs remain on the hydrants until firefighters can conduct final tests to certify they are operating properly. DC Fire & EMS says until they can verify the hydrant situation, they will continue to dispatch additional fire equipment on any calls in the two tunnels connecting the Southwest-Southeast Freeway to New York Avenue.
Erik Linden will not provide information on what was learned about why and how long the hydrants weren’t working. Linden did confirm there were problems with the hydrants and with valves to water mains that had been closed.
On Monday, STATter 911 reported on broken hydrants that would be used in case of a fire on or near a series of bridges that cross the Potomac River. Four hydrants were not working in a three-quarter mile stretch of Ohio Drive, SW in East Potomac Park and West Potomac Park. Those hydrants are the responsibility of the National Park Service (NPS).
Today, NPS spokesman Bill Line says the two hydrants closest to the Metro Yellow Line bridge, the CSX bridge and the I-395 bridges, have been fixed. Line expects two other hydrants to be repaired in November.
Bill Line disputes DC Fire & EMS Lt. Sean Egan’s claim that Egan was told by NPS that the hydrants have been broken since 1999. Line says they just don’t know how long the fire plugs have not worked.
