Hydrant Project

Those of us who come to live out in the Tanque Verde Valley move out here for various reasons. There are many advantages to living here (i.e., beautiful views, elbow room, etc.). There also are, however, some drawbacks. One of these drawbacks is that the infrastructure does not exist to the degree that it does in the city.

One aspect of infrastructure that is of concern is public safety. In comparison to being in the city….when there is an emergency out here, there will most likely be fewer individuals responding and they will possibly be responding from a much greater distance.

The board members of the TVVFD are committed to ensuring the highest level of service is made available to their members. They work with the Rural Metro Fire Department, to assist them with acquiring needed equipment, in order for them to best serve our taxpayers.

When a fire occurs, one of the most important “tools” in the “toolbox” is having a plentiful, reliable water source. Most “pumpers” (fire trucks) these days have a booster tank. The booster tank typically holds about 750 gallons of water. This helps the fire crew get to the scene and begin operations quickly; however, to have a sustained source of water is invaluable when fighting a prolonged structure fire.

Kaye Treese, a former board member (one of the originals) identified an opportunity to have two hydrants installed within the district. There were a number of hurdles that had to be overcome. First of all, the cost was quite significant. A grant was obtained; and, the project was underway.

A big concern was identifying two locations that would provide the best water delivery for the money spent. The decision was made to place one hydrant on the northeast corner of Ft. Lowell and Showdown Place. The other was to be installed on the northeast corner of Ft. Lowell and Sourdough Place. Each location had an 8” supply line.

The project, from start to finish, took over a year to accomplish. There were all the usual activities of planning, blue stake, selecting a contractor, etc. John Evans provided the engineering; and, one of our residents volunteered his skill with surveying. The arduous task of pushing the plans through the city process took more than a year.

Early this year, the project was completed. Many thanks to those who gave of their time and energy to see this project through to the end.