Lavonia Fire Hydrants to be tested this weekend

If you live in or around the city of Lavonia, expect to see firefighters working on the city’s fire hydrants over the weekend.  Crews with the Lavonia Fire Department will be releasing water from all of the fire hydrants.  Chad Marcengill is with the Lavonia Fire Department and says the process is called flowing the hydrants.  Marcengill says this procedure is necessary to assure all fire hydrants are working properly.  Marcengill said, “We have to do this yearly to keep checks on the hydrants.  Plus it allows us to know where the hydrants are, where they’re located, and the pressures.   So when we get fire calls in that area where our strong hydrants are.  So it has multiple purposes.”

As a result, Marcengill says impacted residents can expect drops in pressure at certain times and possibly the water looking cloudy and dirty.  This off color is from settlement building in the lines over time.  However, Marcengill says the water is safe, but he advises residents not to wash their whites during the flushing period.  Motorists should use caution when driving through an area where water is being released from a fire hydrant.  Temporary puddling can occur according to Marcengill.  Motorists should use caution when driving through these wet spots and slow down.  Driving at high rates of speed through water can cause a vehicle to hydroplane.

The project is set to begin Saturday morning and expected to be completed Monday evening.