JACKSON, Wyo. — During the Teton County Water Summit on April 23, at the Teton County Library, Jackson Hole Fire/EMS encouraged residents to annually test and maintain their private water systems so they are available in the event of an emergency.
The inaugural water forum brought experts from all over the state to discuss the future of water in Wyoming. Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Fire Marshall (Battalion Chief) Raymond Lane shared the importance of maintaining local water sources, especially during wildfire season.
“Making sure that water is there, available and reliable, is a little bit of a struggle in a place like this because we have a lot of separate systems out there,” Lane said.
Lane explained that water systems in Teton County vary from underground cisterns (water tanks) to fire hydrants and dedicated fire wells, which are typically drilled into the ground. He said that underground cisterns are JH Fire/EMS Fire’s least preferred option because firefighters have to use truck pumps to suck the water up. He also said that water tanks are often empty and not properly maintained.
Lane said the most reliable and cost-effective water supply method is a dedicated fire well system with a power supply and an attached pump. He said that a water main and hydrant system is reliable but it’s the most expensive to maintain. According to Lane, the Teton County Public Works Department flushes fire hydrants twice a year to make sure that the water system is reliable.
According to Teton County’s fire code requirements, both private and public water supplies are required to be tested and maintained annually. Lane said the fire department needs to be informed once private maintenance has been done, so firefighters know where water sources are located. For those not connected to the Town’s water, private protection systems must be inspected, tested and maintained according to NFPA 25 standards.
“Having the ability to make sure systems work is so important,” Lane said. “It’s just one less thing that we as fire officers have to think about … when responding to a fire.”
Lane said that it can be difficult to track down private emergency water systems, especially when residents and entities do not report yearly inspection results. He said that the department’s maintenance of private water supplies hasn’t been sufficient so an insurance audit needs to be requested in another five years.
“We could have done better,” Lane said. “We are going to work diligently to try to obtain those records. It’s kind of like herding cats to find out who is responsible for what water supply and what sub-division. We know there’s a ton of water sources out there, and homeowners have put in wells. A lot of places are doing the maintenance but people aren’t reporting it.”
Stay tuned for more news from the inaugural Water Summit.
