Board Approves Hydrant-Tracking Template, Moves Forward on Hydrant Repairs

The Montgomery board voted on June 2 to implement a hydrant-tracking system intended to document flushing, inspections, flow testing and repairs by address. Staff described the initial implementation as a low-cost paper/tablet checklist and suggested a later migration to GPS-enabled software if funding is allocated.

Why it matters: Trustees and residents have raised concerns that hydrant maintenance and flow testing were incomplete in past years; the tracking system aims to create an auditable record that the fire department and DPW can use to identify problem hydrants and show compliance with routine maintenance.

What was approved: The board approved beginning the tracking template rollout immediately, with staff entering addresses and inspection notes. Trustees discussed that some flow testing had already been done for sample hydrants and pledged to increase flow testing coverage over future flush cycles.

Funding and schedule: Staff said there is no immediate software cost — the template exists and needs initial data entry — but that a future computerized system would require funding and possible water-fee revenue or fee adjustments to support equipment and software. Trustees said they ordered hydrant parts and valves and will post public notices before any hydrant shutdowns to perform repairs.

Implementation: DPW and the fire department will share inspection data; the template will include sign-offs and recommended remedies. Trustees asked for dates and public notifications when hydrant work will cause temporary water outages.

Outcome: Motion passed at the meeting; staff will begin populating the tracking template and bring cost estimates for software or expanded testing to a future meeting.