STATter 911

A fire this early this morning again highlights issues between the D.C. Fire and EMS Department and the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (WASA). The fire broke out around 3:00 a.m. in a Subway sandwich shop at 20th and P Streets, NW. One of the closest hydrants to the scene was broken, something the first fire crews had to deal with. The fire went to a second-alarm.

D.C. Fire officials say they reported the broken 4-inch connection on the hydrant to WASA on August 13th. Now 17 days later, WASA has not repaired the hydrant. This week WASA spokeswoman Michele Quander-Collins told the Washington Post that repairs to hydrants are made within 5 days. Quander-Collins also said that if the hydrant needs to be replaced it can take as long as 10 days.

D.C. Fire and EMS Chief Dennis Rubin, back at 20th and P this afternoon, says he does not know why this repair has taken longer. Chief Rubin did note that there was some construction on the street. Chief Rubin says because of the recent city-wide hydrant inspection fire crews were aware of the broken hydrant and were able to easily work around it.

STATter 911 has a call into WASA trying to find out why this hydrant has not been repaired.

STATter 911 is also attempting to get a response from WASA about the hydrants at its own headquarters complex in Southwest Washington. As STATter 911 first reported on Wednesday, recent testing by D.C. firefighters found almost one-third of the hydrants at the Blue Plains Sewage Treatment Plant are broken. D.C. Fire and EMS sources said that 7 of the 24 hydrants on the property failed inspection.

There is also still no clear answer from WASA and the D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) over who is responsible for the broken hydrants in the 3rd Street Tunnel underneath the National Mall. A WASA spokesperson said Wednesday, that the 36 hydrants in the two tunnels are DDOT's problem. A DDOT spokesperson originally said it was a WASA issue and later said it may be a shared responsibility between the two agencies. Twenty-eight of those hydrants were found to be broken during an inspection last Sunday.

Chief Rubin and WASA General Manager Jerry Johnson have a meeting this afternoon to work on these issues and a long term plan to fund twice-yearly inspections.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 12:45 PM