In case of a fire, try using this rusty hydrant

WELTEVREDEN PARK – Rusty old hydrants in Weltevreden Park have resident Frances Jansen van Vuuren worried about whether they will work in an emergency situation.

Jansen van Vuuren said after she took a walk to her local shopping centre, she noticed the state of hydrants in Vale Road.

“The hydrants are in a shocking state, they are all rusty and some of them are without seals as they have been stolen for scrap metal,” she said.

Van Vuuren then called the City of Joburg’s customer service number to report the problem and only received a reference number and an empty promise that the situation will be attended to, she said.

Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said while the emergency services do use the hydrants from time to time, it’s not their responsibility to maintain the hydrants.

“It is Johannesburg Water’s responsibility to maintain the hydrants because we conduct our own inspections from time to time and report them to the entity if they are in fact faulty.”

Johannesburg Water spokesperson Millicent Kabwe said that the hydrants are currently maintained by various depots in Joburg when they are reported to be leaking.

“During the repair of burst water pipes, the hydrants are used to drain the leaking pipe and they create an escape route for air when the pipe is charged. If hydrants are found to be faulty during this process, then they are repaired.”

She added that the entity is also involved in the water articulation system upgrade that is currently underway in the area.

“As part of our pipe replacement programme, we are currently replacing all of the hydrants in that area of Weltevreden Park. A team has been scheduled to inspect the state of hydrants in Vale Road in the coming week and if these hydrants are found to be faulty, they will be replaced.”

Kabwe said if residents are concerned about the state of hydrants in their area, they can call the entity and report the issue.

Details: Johannesburg Water 011 688 1400.