South Zanesville moves to bolster hydrant inspections and approve hydrant purchases

South Zanesville officials moved to strengthen local fire‑protection infrastructure after the fire department outlined a multi‑phase hydrant inventory and testing program. Fire Chief Russell Taylor told the council the department responded to 96 calls last month, 65 of them EMS calls, and emphasized that functional hydrants are critical to emergency response.

Joshua Bryan, a fire department representative, presented a three‑phase plan to locate and document all hydrants (including GPS coordinates and discharge data), inspect hydrants in collaboration with Water Department staff, and then adopt a rotating four‑year testing cycle to limit water‑system disruption. Bryan said district maps currently overstate in‑village hydrant counts — for example, District 1 lists 36 hydrants but only 30 are applicable, while District 2 lists 48 but only 18 are within the village’s scope — and described uploading collected data into the County GIS to improve accountability and ISO credit.

Council discussed supply, cost and funding: water staff reported a single hydrant costs about $4,000, roughly $4,500 including shipping, and delivery windows may range from weeks to months. Council gave verbal approval to proceed with purchasing three hydrants, using a combination of capital outlay, leftover grant funds and general‑fund resources. The hydrant at East Berkeley and Pembroke was identified as a high‑priority replacement.

Chief Taylor said some flow testing data (such as static pressure readings) are not yet on hand but that the village can begin inspections by coordinating with Village Administrator Danny Wiseman and the Water Department; Council was told formal Council approval is not required to begin the inspection process. The department set an internal goal to complete the full inspection and repair plan by year‑end, ahead of ISO re‑evaluation scheduled in roughly two years.

The plan is designed to improve system reliability, pursue full ISO credit (which could reduce homeowner insurance premiums), and create a documented maintenance schedule. Council did not record a formal motion for the inspection program itself; the purchase of three hydrants was approved verbally and will be brought forward with formal purchase paperwork as suppliers confirm delivery timelines.