Bickering Agencies Told to Fix D.C. Hydrants

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Photo of firefighters in Adams Morgan earlier this month by Lois Raimondo/The Washington Post

WATCHING CITY AGENCIES FIGHT isn't usually that much fun, but we wish we'd heard that first awkward conference call after officials at the D.C. fire department and the Water and Sewer Authority found out they'd have to work together to fix the city's fire hydrant problems.

The D.C. Council on Tuesday approved emergency legislation that gives the two agencies 30 days to gin up a plan for curing the District's hydrant woes. Non-functioning hydrants caused delays in efforts to fight the blaze that gutted the Georgetown public library back in April, while water-pressure issues forced firefighters to run hoses across Rock Creek Park to Woodley Park in order to fight a condo fire in Adams Morgan earlier this month.

Fire and WASA officials have publicly sparred since then. D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin said during a news conference earlier this month that WASA's hydrant system maps are "antiquated," calling on the agency to color-code its hydrants by the water pressure they can support. WASA, meanwhile, has pointed out that two hydrants near the Adams Morgan blaze would have provided the right amount of pressure to fight the fire, but fire officials didn't try to tap them.

According to The Post's Nikita Stewart, Council member Yvette M. Alexander, who introduced Tuesday's legislation, said the time for bickering was over. "There's no more pointing fingers. They have to work, and it has to be a team effort," Alexander said. "It's time to take responsibility. It's a public safety issue."

» "Agencies Ordered to Team Up to Fix Hydrants" [WaPo]

EARLIER:
» "D.C. Fire Officials, WASA Point Fingers After Blaze" [WaPo]
» 4-Alarm Blaze Brings Scrutiny to WASA [Free Ride/Express]
» "Quoted: A Fire Chief's Frustration" [Free Ride/Express]
» "Adams Morgan Fire Hydrant Debate Continues" [Free Ride/Express]
» "Across D.C., Mourning One Terrible Monday" [Free Ride/Express]