LIHU‘E — Not one but two fire hydrants were damaged Friday, shooting upwards of 100,000 gallons of water up into the air and out into the streets. Department of Water Acting Chief of Operations William Eddy said in a phone
LIHU‘E — Not one but two fire hydrants were damaged Friday, shooting upwards of 100,000 gallons of water up into the air and out into the streets.
Department of Water Acting Chief of Operations William Eddy said in a phone interview Friday afternoon that water was “flowing full force” at somewhere in the range of 3,000 gallons per minute for approximately 40 minutes total in the two incidents.
“It’s just another day’s work,” Eddy said, “but it’s not an everyday occurrence.”
The first of the two incidents occurred when a county lawnmower “whacked” a hydrant on Kawaihau Road in Kapahi Friday morning at some time around 8 a.m., Eddy said, completely shearing off the breakaway bolts.
Water flowed for about a half hour, at which point the valve was shut off and the hydrant reset.
In the second incident, a car reportedly struck a hydrant on Rice Street fronting the Bank of Hawai‘i at about 1:30 p.m., causing damage around the base that will require more repair work, Eddy said. The hydrant itself could be reusable, but it will require some pipe work, he said.
The water flowed, again at the rate of “at least 3,000 gallons per minute” for about 10 minutes, Eddy said. Because Department of Water baseyard is close to Rice Street, county workers were able to shut the water off relatively quickly.
If Eddy’s projections are accurate, approximately 120,000 gallons — enough to fill more than three quarters of a million 20-ounce bottles — flowed Friday.
Officials directed traffic while water flowed into and across the street.
Eddy said he had heard the Rice Street incident was a hit-and-run collision, but an e-mail and phone message left for a county spokesperson Friday afternoon were not returned as of press time.
To see video of the Rice Street incident, visit www.thegardenisland.com.
