Aging Millerton hydrants swapped out for new models

MILLERTON – Ten new fire hydrants have now been installed in the Village thanks to the Water Infrastructure Improvement Award (WIIA), a $1 million-plus grant which provided the funding for this project as well as two additional projects with a focus on water meters and painting the local water tower.

Mayor Jenn Najdek explained it was necessary to replace the Village hydrants, which had been deteriorating, and were less efficient than the newly installed ones. “It was a problem,” Najdek said, citing public safety concerns as the motivating factor for prioritizing this particular project. The decaying hydrants, Najdek said, were considerably older than their counterparts outside the Village, which were replaced back in the 1980s.

The reliability of the aging Village hydrants was becoming a source of unease to Village officials as their dependability could not be guaranteed in an emergency. The new models promise to be reliable and more efficient as they are equipped with a shut-off mechanism to prevent unnecessary water overflow, which, as a bonus, also makes them environmentally friendly. Additionally, the upgrade will enhance the character of the Village with the more visually appealing new models.

Najdek was quick to credit Bellamy Construction, who began work on the hydrants at the beginning of October, for a rapid turnaround within a matter of weeks. “They’re a fast-moving company,” she said, explaining that while certain sections presented their own challenges, Bellamy remained focused on the task at hand, and is now wrapping up the final stages of construction by replacing blacktop where needed and restoring impacted lawns and topsoil.