By Dick Lindsay
The Berkshire Eagle
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city plans to spend $200,000 to replace dozens of aging or inoperable fire hydrants in an effort to improve fire protection of Pittsfield homes and businesses.
Water Department revenue will be used toward replacing the city’s worst hydrants — 30 of which are out of service, according to municipal officials.
“With that amount of money we can take care of 40 hydrants,” said Public Utilities Com missioner Bruce I. Collingwood. “I expect the cost per hydrant to be $5,000 to $6,000.”
Collingwood said a combination of city workers and private contractors will complete the work by the end of this summer.
The city normally spends $50,000 each year to replace 10 to 12 hydrants. However, public works officials this winter stepped up their effort to find faulty fire hydrants after a failed one caused a “slight delay” in Pittsfield firefighters’ efforts to battle a house fire on Plunkett Street four months ago.
In March, Water Department inspectors completed a three-month examination of all 1,700 hydrants in the city and found 30 weren’t in working order, Collingwood said.
As the City Council unanimously approved the project last week, several city councilors felt that was 30 broken hydrants too many.
“We need to make sure each year that every hydrant is up and running,” said Councilor at large Barry J. Clairmont.
Collingwood has noted the fire hydrant at the corner of Plunkett and Kellogg streets needs to be relocated and could cost up to $25,000 to replace. He said the new one serving the Plunkett Street area will be connected to a larger water main, providing better fire protection.
The existing hydrant wasn’t working on Dec. 19 when fire broke out 300 feet away at 25 Plunkett St., displacing two tenants, Charles Ellsworth and Claudia Jean White — mother of former city Councilor Peter T. White.
The out-of-service hydrant forced firefighters to tap into a hydrant 600 feet away, on the opposite side of Tyler Street, causing a “slight delay” in dousing the fire, fire officials said at the time.
Ward 6 Councilor John M. Krol said it’s unacceptable for any fire hydrant to fail.
“My concern is it took a situation for us [to approve this money],” Krol said. “I don’t think we should be at this stage of the game.”
Nevertheless, Pittsfield Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski praised the city’s effort to repair and replace faulty fire hydrants.
“I think the Water Depart ment has been doing a good job staying ahead of the situation,” Czerwinski said.
While some hydrants date back to the 1920s, they remain in good working condition, according to Water De partment officials.
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