The Junction City Fire Department will begin fire hydrant testing throughout the city beginning Monday, April 29th during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The hydrants in the city will be tested to ensure they’re operable and able to produce the required water pressure when needed to supply water for firefighting purposes.

Fire Chief Terry Johnson said because the testing must be done during normal operating hours, it is impossible to know in advance just where or when exactly the testing will occur in any specific area.

Opening hydrants can sometimes cause a temporary discoloration of water in nearby homes. The discoloration is not harmful in any way and can be cleared by running the water for a few minutes.

The testing ensures the protection of local residents and is an evaluation indicator used by the Insurance Services Organization which rates cities according to the fire protection they offer. The recent Insurance Services Organization resulted in the elevation of the City to a Class 3 protection rating. By maintaining a system of checks and maintenance on the City’s fire protection assets, the department is working to maintain and potentially lower the overall Insurance Services organization’s current rating.