Resident urges city to survey fire hydrants after spotting rust; council asks staff to notify purveyors

At the Jan. 22 Citrus Heights City Council meeting, resident David Warren urged the city to confirm the condition of local fire hydrants after he observed rust marks on multiple hydrants and cited a recent wildfire in Southern California.

Warren said visible rust and signs of leakage around hydrants in his neighborhood suggest older water-system components may be deteriorating and asked the city to direct staff to check whether a recent survey exists. “I would ask that the city direct staff to make sure that there's been a recent survey of the fire hydrants in the water system to make sure that it is in a state of failure just because of age,” Warren said.

Why it matters: Fire hydrants and water-system reliability are critical to fire response; the resident cited a recent fire elsewhere in California as a reminder of the risk to suburban neighborhoods.

City staff and council members discussed which agencies would be responsible for hydrant maintenance. City Manager Feeney indicated the issue typically involves both Metro Fire and the local water purveyor, and he said staff would pass the concern on to the relevant agency or agencies. The manager named potential water providers discussed at the meeting as Citrus Heights Water District, California American Water (Cal Am), or Sacramento Suburban Water District and said the city would coordinate with the appropriate purveyor and Metro Fire.

What happens next: Council asked staff to forward the concern to Metro Fire and the applicable water purveyor for assessment; the meeting record shows no formal council vote. Staff indicated the city would follow up outside the council meeting.