Peoria crews test and flush about 11,000 fire hydrants to preserve pressure and a top ISO rating

Peoria Water Services crews maintain nearly 11,000 fire hydrants across the city, carrying out inspections, cap checks and flow tests so hydrants will operate reliably when needed, Ryan Bagley of Water Services said.

"We have just about 11,000, maybe a little under that," Bagley said, describing the scale of the program. He outlined a routine inspection: crews check the hydrant's appearance, remove and inspect the caps, open the hydrant and "flow some water" to confirm water will come out when the hydrant is turned on and that it will stop when turned off.

Bagley said crews perform these actions because hydrants are exposed to weather year-round and must work on first use. "If your car sat parked for an entire year, would you expect it to start?" he asked, using the analogy to explain the need for routine testing. "These sit 365 days in the sun, in the rain, in the cold, and we expect them to fire up the first time someone touches it. That's why it's important that we come to them, we flush some water...and make sure that when we turn it off, the water stops coming out of it."

The inspections include pressure testing. Bagley explained that Peoria is divided into pressure zones so the water department can manage pressure levels and ensure adequate pressure reaches fire trucks in different parts of the city. "We have to break the city down into zones and then we can manage that with the fire hydrants to give us adequate fire pressure to the fire trucks," he said.

The Water Services work also ties into insurance grading. Bagley discussed the Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating process and its implications for homeowners and businesses. He said improved water-service performance contributes to a better ISO classification, which can lower insurance costs. "The better the rating, which is a Tier 1 and the lowest would be a Tier 10, the better your home insurance, business insurance, will be," he said, and noted that in 2023 Peoria held a Tier 1 rating.

The segment framed the hydrant program as largely unseen but essential to public safety and to sustaining Peoria's favorable insurance standing. The host closed by thanking Bagley and noting the series will continue with other local issues.