Update: Why was fire hydrant not maintained?

Following last Sunday’s fire in Lambton (GCN, October 2), in which a couple’s home was destroyed, residents of Eighth Avenue have inquired why the fire hydrant along this street is faulty.

Matthew Baxter contacted the GCN in an attempt to get the answers he isn’t getting from the Ekurhuleni Metro, despite numerous calls.

“I logged a call with the metro’s call taking centre on Monday, September 28.

“I was told the hydrant would be repaired within the next 48 hours,” he said.

Baxter claims the metro, however, did not deliver on this promise and the fire hydrant had still not been repaired when he went to check on Friday.

Baxter believes there should be a maintenance plan in place to ensure that fire hydrants throughout the city are functioning properly.

Ward councillor Chris Swanepoel confirmed the fire hydrant had still not been repaired on Wednesday when he went to inspect it.

“It appeared that the fire hydrant’s closing and opening systems had not been serviced for a long time as the long spanner opening the valve was completely sheared off of the square shaft on the top of the sprocket opening valve,” Swanepoel said.

Swanepoel feels the Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services should be responsible for testing and maintaining the hydrants.

The GCN sent a query to the metro to find out who is responsible for these hydrants and what type of maintenance plan is in place to ensure that all fire hydrants are operational.

The GCN also questioned why the repair had not been completed when the metro insisted the matter would be handled within 48 hours.

At the time of going to press, no comment had been received from the metro.

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