By John Pacenti
Just like a heart patient with clogged arteries, a bypass will be used to shore up Ocean Ridge fire hydrants that do not have adequate water pressure due to aging, corroding pipes. In the meantime, the town is moving up the timeline on an infrastructure project to replace those pipes.
Boynton Beach Fire Rescue, which services the town, has had crews doing drills in Ocean Ridge to ensure homes in the affected area on Hudson Avenue are protected in case of fire.
The plan, Fire Chief Hugh Bruder told the Town Commission at its June 2 meeting, is to run hoses on one of two nearby lines on State Road A1A that have the standard pressure of 1,500 gallons per minute.
Bruder said the bypass is necessary because hydrant flow tests discovered that inadequate water pressure along Hudson Avenue would severely limit firefighting effectiveness.
“I think we have a plan in place that the residents can feel safe, that if there’s a fire in this area, we’re going to be able to get to it and put it out as quickly as possible,” Bruder said.
Homes in the Pelican Cove development — and those on Ridge Lane, Anna Street, Engle Drive and Edith Street — are in the affected area, according to a map presented by Bruder.
Town Engineer Lisa Tropepe recommended that the town expedite Phase 4 of its ongoing plan to replace aging water pipes, saying that phase would cover most of the affected area of the low-flow fire hydrants. The town has estimated the overall replacement project will cost $39 million and be done over eight years. Commissioners voted to approve $24,000 for a study of the pipes for Phase 4.
“The first step is to collect the data. The first step is to get the survey done right from Ocean Avenue to Corinne (Street),” Tropepe said.
Bruder told commissioners his department is set to receive a new fire boat in August that could also be used in the event of a fire. He said “it’s going to be a critical piece of equipment for us to fight fire from the water.”
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