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Clear Lake council authorizes pilot with water district to test fire-hydrant program
Summary
Council members directed the city manager to develop a pilot project with a local water district to complete and validate fire-hydrant flow testing after water districts raised cost and timing concerns over a recently adopted hydrant-inspection ordinance.
The Clear Lake City Council instructed staff March 20 to pursue a pilot program with a local water district to implement parts of Ordinance No. 275-2024, the city’s recently adopted fire-hydrant inspection, testing and maintenance ordinance.
City Manager Flora told the council the ordinance requires hydrant flow testing by July 1, 2025 and every five years thereafter in accordance with National Fire Protection Association standards. Staff estimated outside consultants could charge roughly $1,200–$1,500 per hydrant; testing every hydrant in the city could cost “up to three quarters of a million dollars,” a staff member said during the hearing.
Representatives from the Kanaka County Water District told the council district staff are qualified to perform testing but that the ordinance’s timeline and consultant requirement present cost and logistical problems. A district representative said many parts of the system lack nearby drainage and that running 800–1,500 gallons per minute during a flow test can cause localized flooding if not mitigated. The district asked to test hydrants with city oversight rather than hire outside contractors for every test.
Staff recommended a pilot in which the water district would perform tests at selected hydrants while the city’s consultant, Rob Roscoe, observes and verifies methodology and results. The city indicated public works staff would help mitigate potential runoff or other impacts during tests. The pilot would let staff assess whether the district’s in-house testing methods match the ordinance standards and whether the ordinance’s consultant requirement could be modified.
City staff also said they have applied for federal appropriations that could be passed through to water districts to cover testing costs and that they are talking with Golden State Water Company and other providers to avoid duplicative testing where those companies already provide similar data to regulators.
The council expressed general support for the pilot. “I applaud your effort to cooperate with the city and getting flow data — that’s what it’s all about,” Council Member Wilson said. Council members asked staff to proceed, work with the water district and report back to the council with pilot results and any recommended changes to the ordinance.
What happened next: staff will pursue the pilot project with the Kanaka County Water District, schedule initial tests at low-impact sites, have consultant oversight, and return with results and any recommended ordinance adjustments. No formal vote was recorded; the council provided direction by consensus.
Sources and scope: this article summarizes staff presentations, water-district comments and council direction recorded in the March 20, 2025 City Council meeting transcript.
