There are 33 fire hydrants throughout Moose Jaw that are out of service, but city hall is not prioritizing the repair of these fixtures ahead of other projects.
These three-dozen hydrants are on the active backlog list with 129 other jobs that require attention, Darrin Stephanson, manager of utilities, told city council during its April 27 regular meeting. Unless there is poor fire coverage in an area, the municipality will not repair the hydrants ahead of other issues such as service leaks, water main breaks, or failed water connections to homes.
“When we do get notice of a hydrant, we do confirm that there is adequate fire coverage for the trucks to hook to with hoses if required to in the area,” he continued, “and that will determine if it needs to be fixed immediately, or if it can wait on our backlog list until we get to it.”
Repair requests arise every day throughout the community, so hydrants are not a priority, Stephanson added. City administration decided to push off hydrant repairs during the coronavirus pandemic since city hall would have to shut down the water for one full block. City administration wanted to avoid that since handwashing is important during this time.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, May 11.
