Cheshire leaders weigh four‑year hydrant maintenance plan after pilot finds deferred upkeep
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Summary
Fire leadership presented a pilot survey of 40 hydrants and proposed a four‑year townwide program to put “hands on” every hydrant; the plan would split the town into quadrants and could be carried out by Regional Water Authority, a third‑party contractor, or town staff depending on cost and capacity.
Fire Chief Ashish Kasner presented the results of a 40‑hydrant pilot and urged the council to fund an initial multi‑year maintenance program to address widespread deferred work on hydrants across the Town of Cheshire.
"We'd put hands on every hydrant over a four‑year period," Kasner said, describing a plan to divide the town into quadrants and inspect, lubricate and paint hydrants on a rotating schedule. He noted proposal costs quoted by the Regional Water Authority: $40 to remove a stub cap, $60 to paint a hydrant and $168 to inspect, lubricate and test a hydrant.
Why it matters: councilors and staff said many hydrants have not been exercised or maintained in decades, raising concerns about reliability in an emergency. Kasner told the council volunteers and staff regularly encounter frozen or damaged caps and said a structured maintenance program would surface hydrants that need repair or replacement before a critical failure.
The contractor who led the pilot, identified in the meeting as Ken, told the council that ownership of components matters to who performs and pays for work. "The Town of Cheshire owns the fire hydrants," Ken said. "From the valve to the fire hydrant is owned by the town; from the valve back is owned by Regional Water." He said the pilot found roughly 15% of the sampled hydrants required significant maintenance or removal—about six units from the 40 tested—though he cautioned the small sample size limited precision.
Councilors pressed for cost clarity and options. Kasner said the town has $100,000 in capital set aside and a $75,000 operating request in next year’s budget for hydrant work; staff funded the pilot (40 hydrants) out of an existing testing line for about $10,000. Kasner described two implementation paths: contract with RWA (which historically performs some work), hire a private contractor, or create a town position to handle routine maintenance.
"I don't care who does it," Kasner said. "I just want the service so they work." Council members explored whether hiring a full‑time maintenance worker would be cheaper than paying per‑hydrant rates; a councillor estimated an in‑town full‑time position could, in some scenarios, do the work for a fraction of external costs but would require ongoing salary and benefit commitments.
Next steps: staff offered to return with more detailed cost comparisons (contractor proposals vs. internal staffing and equipment), itemized repair bills tied to past work orders, and a refined prioritization that could target higher‑risk neighborhoods first. The council did not take a vote; funding and the program scope will be part of upcoming budget deliberations.
