Pagosa Fire Protection District (PFPD) Chief Robert Bertram offered an update on the ongoing fire hydrant issue at the district’s board meeting Tuesday evening, indicating personnel could be out flowing hydrants this spring.
“That’s always been a big thing, especially after the California fires, a bunch of people have interest,” Bertram said.
Bertram told the board the issue originally started with conversations with Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association (PLPOA) General Manager Allen Roth, with people approaching PLPOA to ask about hydrants.
That then opened the conversation with the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) about maintenance of the hydrants, he explained.
Bertram added he asked about testing hydrants when he began his current role and was told the fire department can’t test them “based off of something that happened 10 years ago.”
He added he met with the county manager, sheriff, town manager, PAWSD general manager and another PAWSD staff member Tuesday afternoon to talk about what the future will look like so they can all work together on the hydrants.
“Unfortunately, some of them may not have been touched in 10 years and a lot can happen in 10 years if you’re not even just working that valve,” he said. “So, we’re working on a process to be able to at least go out there and start opening up the hydrants, whether we’re flow testing them or just initially opening ‘em up to flush them, trying to work with PAWSD on that.”
Bertram explained an intergovernmental agreement was in place 10 years ago or more where PAWSD paid the PFPD per hydrant.
“Ultimately, we’re trying to figure out how we can all work together, start flowing some of these hydrants to make sure they’re ready for us ..., be able to document maintenance on ‘em, and then, whether it’s PAWSD or us, how we share that information between us,” he said.
He added this spring they’ll be out getting hydrants flushed and figuring out what is there.
Later in the conversation, Bertram noted the only time flow tests are being done currently are for development.
He added the parties are trying to come together to figure out how to do it to be beneficial for everyone.
He added hopefully what happened 10 years ago can be put aside.
He acknowledged the hydrants have become a community discussion.
“However it went down, it is good that we’re now coming together to talk about this and move forward and hopefully be flowing hydrants this spring,” he said.
PFPD board member Wayne Hooper noted he’s had a lot of phone calls and discussed the effect the issue could have on fire insurance ratings, which would cost everybody.
Hooper then asked the district’s attorney, Dino Ross, whose liability it would be if there’s a life safety issue, adding the PFPD has a moral obligation.
Ross confirmed PAWSD owns the system before indicating it is up to PAWSD to provide water and maintain the working order of equipment and appurtenances.
Hooper later noted the district has about four minutes of water with a typical engine.
After Ross gave an example of a similar issue another district he works with is facing, Hooper acknowledged people are upset and concerned about the issue.
Bertram noted spring is the best time to flow hydrants before the summer water demand and they don’t want to do it in winter, but PAWSD has over 1,200 hydrants.
The chief later added there is momentum on the issue and things are moving in the right direction.
Bertram also explained that there are 39 pressure zones in the PAWSD water system due to the elevation, which he noted is a lot.
Some hydrants are known to have lower flows, he noted, indicating the hope is to eventually do color coding of the hydrants based on flow.
He added PAWSD has also stated if problems are found with hydrants, those problems will be fixed.
randi@pagosasun.com
