News

Rogue hydrant opening caused Etowah water pressure to drop

By Lightning Reports, Published: April 9, 2020

The Hendersonville water department and the Hendersonville Police Department are seeking the public’s help in keeping watch over fire hydrants in the Etowah area.

On Wednesday the city issued a boil water advisory for portions of the Etowah area due to low-pressure issues occurring within the system. As crews investigated the issue, they discovered the drop in pressure was caused by three hydrants being opened without authorization. Based on water monitoring systems, the hydrants are believed to have been opened late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Crews closed the hydrants immediately after they were discovered and pressure levels returned to normal, however, more than 1,600 customers had to be placed under a precautionary boil water advisory due to the drop in pressure caused by the hydrants being opened. The customers were notified of the issue and will be notified when the advisory is lifted.
“Unauthorized use of hydrants is a serious matter,” said Utility Director Lee Smith. “Our fire departments rely on a certain level of water pressure and adequate water supply from the system. Customers are impacted anytime we have a loss in pressure like this.” Smith encourages the community to always reach out if they see any issues occurring with fire hydrants or public infrastructure.
Boil Water Advisories are issued in response to an event like scheduled water line maintenance, water main breaks, power outages, or in this case a loss of pressure. More information about Boil Water Advisories and frequently asked questions is available at https://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/water-sewer/boil-water-advisories
Anytime the public sees a hydrant running that is unattended by water or fire department crews, they should contact Hendersonville Water & Sewer at (828) 697-3073 from 8:00 am - 5:00 Monday – Friday. Water issues occurring after hours, on weekends or City holidays can be reported at (828) 891-7779.
If any member of the public sees any suspicious activity around hydrants or has any information about how the hydrants were opened, they are asked to contact Detective Eric LaRowe with the Hendersonville Police Department at (828) 697-3025. Tips may also be submitted through the Hendersonville Police Department App which can be downloaded in the iOS App Store or Google Play Store by searching “Hendersonville PD.”