1 million liters of water wasted by open fire hydrants, water company files a report | Inland

The report focuses on endangering public health, the spokeswoman explains, because fire hydrants “are intended to help save lives.” In addition, houses, especially in the higher district of Duindorp, were wholly or partly without water until about 1.30 am. This also poses a safety risk, because pollution endangers the water quality.

The financial damage of all those liters of water will be about 1000 euros, the spokeswoman estimates. The costs are not there either, but when the taps are opened, the water comes out with such force that damage has also occurred in the area. “There is damage in the streets, tiles have been washed away as a result of the large amount of water and houses near taps may have water damage.”

The open taps are immediately fitted with a lock. This means that the fire service needs longer to gain access to the water. That is the trade-off for us.” It has been a tactic of the company for some time in consultation with the municipality, among others. “But The Hague has about 10,000 fire hydrants, so there is always one that doesn’t have a lock.”

Opening the taps, often by young people, is a recurring problem on warm evenings in The Hague. Dunea also filed a report last year, after which two young people were arrested.

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