The City of Evanston’s Fire Department and Water Production Bureau are conducting their annual fire hydrant testing. During this time, on-duty firefighters will test all of the approximately 1,400 public fire hydrants in the City while being available to respond to any emergency incident. Water Production Bureau personnel are responsible for ensuring the safe, effective delivery of the City’s fresh water supply whether it’s used for drinking or fighting a fire, and they promptly address issues discovered during the testing process to ensure their mission is fulfilled.
Testing fire hydrants helps the Fire Department by:
- Ensuring the hydrant is in working order so firefighters can get water on a fire when and where they need.
- Recording residual pressures to make sure they have enough water to put fires out.
- Making sure nothing is in the hydrant that may damage the fire engine or prevent water from coming out.
- Becoming more familiar with City streets, neighborhoods and buildings in order to respond to emergencies more effectively.
- Engaging citizens during non-emergency times so the Evanston community understands their Fire Department better and firefighters understand the people they serve better.
If you encounter a hydrant test in progress, you may see water being flushed from the hydrant into the street. Your safety, along with that of other motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and the firefighters conducting the test depends on your actions. Please be cautious, slow down and wait for testing to be completed if you cannot safely proceed.