Field day is a traditional end of year celebration for students in Lee County, but the Florida sun requires activities that won’t overheat the students. Water balloon races, sponge toss, and other water games help keep the students cool as they run around outside and this year students had even more water to play in.

Schools closed this past week but before they did, the Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA) performed tests on their fire hydrants and especially those on school property while the kids were still in school and could come out and enjoy the fun.

Most of the schools in Lehigh worked with the Fire District and FGUA to keep the students cool by letting them run under the spray from a fire hose. Hydrants on the school grounds were opened enough to provide a steady stream, but not enough to hurt anyone. This was done as part of the end of year fire hydrant testing at the school and was monitored by the fire department.

National standards require hydrants be tested, cleaned and flushed at least once per year, and may be done more often at schools or other public buildings. Whenever possible, the hydrant is opened so the water will spill onto grass or other permeable surfaces, allowing the water to percolate back into the ground. This year, the FGUA worked with the fire and school districts to partner the hydrant flushing with the student field day events.

The fire district sends fire inspectors to perform the hydrant testing, so no fire fighting equipment was taken out of service during the hydrant flushing. The FGUA reports the number of hydrants flushed each month, along with the gallons of water used, to the appropriate state and federal agencies. FGUA customers are not charged for the water used during hydrant flushing.

Fire hydrants are connected to the potable water lines, which is the water that is safe to drink. While the hydrant is open, the parts are inspected and lubricated with industrial strength vegetable oil that is safe for human consumption. After the hydrant has run for a few minutes, a water sample is taken to verify that the chlorine level is within the legal limits for healthy water. The sample kit is much like kits used to test swimming pools, so as little water as possible is used during testing.

Barbara Kerby is FGUA’s community service representative in Lehigh.