Firefighters Test Dry Hydrants In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — Over the past couple of weeks, Greenwich firefighters have been testing the dry hydrants in the backcountry area of town. Dry hydrants are pipes that go into ponds, lakes, pools or cisterns and allow firefighters to suck water out during a fire, according to the Greenwich Professional Firefighters Facebook page.

These types of hydrants are important in the backcountry, as there are no water mains there.

Greenwich Fire Marshal Christopher Pratico said in an email to Patch that testing dry hydrants is important to verify they are in good working order in case they are needed in the event of a fire.

According to Pratico, approximately 35 dry hydrants have been tested in the past couple of weeks. Of those, only a few issues were reported, such as a clogged pipe or a connection leaking air.

When asked for an example of a dry hydrant in town, Pratico said there is a brand new one at 409 Stanwich Road.