Clinton reviews fire hydrant readiness
With concerns about fire hydrants failing during the recent California wildfires, the Clinton City Council is discussing how to avoid having that happen here.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has stated the problem in its case came from decreased pressure in a time of high demand, causing the hydrants at high elevations to quit working.
During the April 28 council meeting, Councilman Rob Herrell said he had discussed the issue with Clinton Fire Chief Jeff Little and was optimistic about the city’s preparedness.
“For the most part, Clinton’s very good because it’s part of our ISO rating,” Herrell said.
“And we have a very good ISO rating,” he said, regarding Clinton’s hydrants.
The ISO or Insurance Services Office ratings rank a city’s fire safety.
However, Herrell noted some hydrants are connected to smaller pipes that limit water flow.
“You can’t dig them all up at once, so it’s a gradual process,” he said, explaining that it would be too costly to replace them all at the same time.
Little said he would like the water mains to be six inches minimum in diameter, but that some existing ones are four inches.
He said there may be eight to 15 hydrants within the city that his firefighters can’t use for hoses due to factors like those small pipes or them being located so high up that the city needs more pressure to pump the water.
Mayor Scott Burton expressed concern about the issue.
“I know some of them are close to assets where we need some water,” he said.
Virtual Power Plant
Also during the meeting, Herrell discussed the Clinton Utility Board’s Virtual Power Plant program — which, despite its name, is not an actual power plant, but a system designed to reduce energy use and cost.
Since 2011, the program has saved about $13 million in payments to the Tennessee Valley Authority, he said.
Key components are:
n A smart switch for water heaters and pool pumps that provides a one-time credit to ratepayers.
n Discounts for businesses and industries that reduce power use during peak hours.
n Dynamic voltage regulation, which predicts high-usage hours based on weather and slightly reduces voltage during those times.
Herrell said the voltage changes are undetectable to consumers.
“You never know it happens,” he told The Courier News. “Your lights won’t flicker. You’ll never know they went from 122 to 117 [volts].”
Electrical Safety
Herrell also announced that the Clinton Utility Board received the Diamond Safety Award for the second-consecutive year from the American Public Power Association.
