West Virginia Fire Hydrant Task Force Calls for Annual Inspections in Proposed Rules

KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WCHS) — A task force aimed at developing guidelines for maintaining fire hydrants in West Virginia released its final proposal Tuesday calling for annual inspections.

The proposal calls for all fire hydrants to be inspected at least once a year and tested for flow at least once every five years, according to documents provided by the West Virginia Public Utilities Commission.

Fire hydrants would also have to be inspected after a utility is notified of a problem, the proposal states.

Utilities would have 12 months to complete initial inspections and 60 months to conduct flow tests on all public hydrants before annual maintenance would be required if the proposed rules are accepted.

In addition, utilities will be required to establish and maintain a complete log of each fire hydrant in their system and update it after each inspection. The logs will be part of an annual report provided to the commission each year.

The proposed rules are currently subject to a 30-day public comment period before the commission makes its final decision.

The task force is made up of nearly 40 people, including firefighters and utility officials.

The task force took shape after water pressure and fire hydrant issues played a role in a fire that ravaged a home on Charleston's West Side and the lack of requirements became apparent.