Several fire hydrants have been tampered with in Nanaimo recently, resulting in flooding for neighbourhood garages and a headache for public works staff.
On Wednesday, June 18, the city issued a notice that tampering with fire hydrants can result in a $50,000 fine, after a number of fire hydrants were vandalized around Westwood and Arbot Road and Second Street and Wakesiah Avenue. Caps were removed with water left gushing out.
According to John Elliot, Nanaimo's director of public works, the night of June 13, the fire department received a call from an Westwood-area homeowner that water was entering their garage after a hydrant had been opened. A second home was also impacted.
Upon further investigation, public works crews observed four different hydrants had been tampered with, the caps removed and left on the grass nearby.
"Hydrants running can … do damage to infrastructure, it can damage roadways, if the water is flowing hard it can cause damage to the shoulder of the road and the edge of the asphalt," Elliot said. "If it doesn't have a good path to go down, like into a ditch or into a storm drain, it can go into people's yards and damage their house."
Fortunately, he said both property owners were home and able to divert the water until public works arrived.
The next morning, public works received a report that another hydrant was opened and had water seeping onto a road in the Wakesiah area.
The fire hydrant tampering came a week after public works had to deal with securing catch basin lids in the area of Fifth Street and Bruce Avenue after a vandal flipped more than 50 upside down, resulting in water flow issues and a safety hazard.
"They kicked the lids up, turned them upside down and then put them back on for some strange reason," Elliot said. "They're concave when they're set properly … When they're upside-down they're convex … so if a cyclist were to hit it, it would be dangerous."
Following each instance of fire hydrant vandalism, public works is required to service the hydrant to ensure no damage has been done.
If someone sees a person tampering with a fire hydrant, they're asked to call public works at 250-758-5222.
"We ask that the public remain vigilant for these acts of vandalism and that will help us protect the infrastructure that serves the public," Elliot said.
