Joliet fire hydrant flushing begins Tuesday – Shaw Local

JOLIET — The Joliet Fire Department announced it will begin the second phase of its annual fire hydrant testing on Tuesday.

The testing, or hydrant flushing, is expected to last about five weeks and will take place weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., weather permitting.

The department specifies that this phase will take place in the areas served by stations 1, 7 and 10.

Station 1, located at 101 E. Clinton St., will test hydrants in the area from south of Cleveland Street to Interstate 80 and from the EJ&E railroad west to the Des Plaines River .

Station 7, 125 Houbolt Road, will test hydrants from Black Road south to Channahon Road and from Infantry Drive west to Interstate 55.

Station 10, 1599 John D. Paige Drive, serves the geographic area bounded by Walker Road to Jones Road and from the EJ&E Railroad west to Arbeiter Road.

Due to the unpredictable nature of weather conditions and emergency service needs, Battalion Chief Dan Berta said no specific timeline was available regarding when exactly the exact areas would be tested.

“Several factors come into play in the daily testing process,” Berta said in an email. “It is the service crews that test the hydrants, so emergency calls, training, daily station duties and annual business inspections are just a few examples that could affect the schedule. »

Berta said that whenever testing or purges take place, it should not cause traffic detours.

“There will be no detours or traffic delays,” Berta said. “Firefighters would simply ask travelers to use caution when passing crews as they circulate hydrants.”

The department also said it would “take precautions” to reduce the effect of possible rusty water and said the city of Joliet would provide packets of anti-rust chemicals for clothing that could be used in washing machines. wash if water was affected.

“There is usually no problem with rusty water,” Berta said. “The water is constantly flowing through the main pipes, so there isn't a lot of sediment. Crews run hydrants until the water runs clear if they notice any discoloration.

Berta said the city's fire stations and water department will have rust-proofing products available free of charge during testing. However, problems can be avoided by running an empty load before a load of light-colored clothing if residents notice testing being done in their area.