Does the fire hydrant down the road really work?

Most of us take for granted that the fire hydrant down the street will function correctly when needed.

Inside the City of Vicksburg, firefighters routinely check hydrants for pressure and report issues to the City’s water department.

In the county, maintenance of the hydrants falls to the various water districts. Warren County Firefighters have the resources of three tanker trucks that carry two thousand gallons of water each. These are stationed at Bovina, Culkin, and Eagle Lake. The average fire apparatus carries five hundred gallons of water.

Warren County Fire Coordinator Jerry Briggs said the water districts are most responsive when issues arise. He said John Gunn at Culkin Water District is bringing in a Louisiana-based contractor that specializes in fire hydrant maintenance and repairs to address issues throughout their service area.

At Eagle Lake, the water district established a monthly flushing program that has increased the flow on the hydrants tremendously. All water systems use lime in their water treatment which settles in the lines and decreases flow. Briggs recently received approval to create three additional “graded districts” which are Culkin District 2, Northeast, and LeTourneau.

(photo by Thomas Parker)

The Culkin and Northeast districts encompass the Redwood and Oak Ridge areas. Part of the criteria for these districts is the accessibility of water along with the number of road miles to a station with a certified fire apparatus along with 911 service. The creation of these districts should result in considerable insurance savings for homeowners in these areas.

During the City of Vicksburg’s water shortage due to a water line break in May of 2017, county firefighters responded to assist with the tanker trucks for structure fires and assistance at medical facilities. Many hydrants were tampered with as residents sought water. It is, in fact, a federal felony crime to tamper with a fire hydrant.

If you live in the county and have concerns about the hydrant in your neighborhood, contact your water district.

Inside the city, you should contact the Action Line at 601-634-3411.