In a recent interview, Joel McCoy, Director of Utilities Civil Infrastructure and Operations, shared insights on the campus-wide fire hydrant replacement project. The project consisted of replacing older obsolete fire hydrants that tend to leak with age, causing a loss of water and difficult maintenance work. The goal with the new hydrants is to improve the reliability of the campus fire protection system and protect our water resources.

The project involved identifying 90 out of 450 hydrants on campus that were over 50 years old and needed to be replaced. The total materials cost for phase one of the project was $197,000, which included bolt kits, gaskets and other parts. The team replaced the old hydrants with Clow brand, Model 960 hydrants, which look similar to the old ones and have standardized colors for different rates of water flow.

A small team of Utilities staff were tasked with replacing the hydrants when they had time in between other projects. The process involved taking out the old hydrant, disinfecting the connections, installing the new hydrant, sealing it, and then recycling the old hydrant through the metal recycling program.

The project also ties into the campus strategic goals of sustainability, innovation, and safety. The new hydrants will save water and make better use of campus resources, while also improving the safety and response time of the fire department. Additionally, the old hydrants that will be recycled will contribute to sustainability efforts on campus.

The first phase of this project has already been completed, and the new hydrants have a life expectancy of 50+ years. The team is now looking for more funding to replace the remaining 40+ old hydrants on campus.

One unique aspect of the project is that fire hydrants are owned by the Utilities department rather than the Fire Department. This project enhances the Fire Department's response time and helps the campus community by improving safety and resource utilization.

With the new hydrants in place, the campus community can rest assured that they have a reliable and efficient fire response system. Thank you Art Waddell, Jose Garcia, Mike Preciado and Efren Gentil for all your hard work!