Do not tamper with fire hydrants – CoE

The CoE has noted with concern an increasing number of fire hydrants being tampered with, mainly to draw water.

As warmer temperatures approach in spring and water consumption increases, the city has seen more acts of vandalism.

William Ntladi, the spokesperson for the DEMS, cautions the public against tampering with fire hydrants, stressing that such actions could lead to disastrous consequences.

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“Fire hydrants play a crucial role in fire suppression efforts, providing a reliable source of water for firefighters to extinguish blazes quickly and efficiently,” he said.

“When fire hydrants are tampered with or used in contravention of the city’s by-laws, it can compromise their functionality, potentially leading to delays in emergency response times and increased risk to lives and property,” said Ntladi.

Ntladi said residents and those running businesses like car washes are reminded that using fire hydrants to fill containers for personal or business use contravenes by-laws and wastes a significant amount of water.

According to him, in the event of water supply interruptions, the city provides water tankers to mitigate the effect of the supply interruption and ensure there is access to clean water for essential needs.

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Therefore, residents and businesses should refrain from using fire hydrants during these interruptions because doing so violates regulations and puts the community at risk.

“Fire hydrants should only be used for their intended purpose – emergencies,” emphasised Ntladi.

The CoE urges residents to report those tampering with the water infrastructure to protect the community’s water resources.

Residents can use any of these platforms Twitter handle CoE_Call_Centre ,Siyakhokha website https://siyakhokha.ekurhuleni.gov.za/Account/Login ,email @ Call.Centre@ekurhuleni.gov.za and My Ekurhuleni App.