In our weekly segment, "A Closer Look," we feature a story from a BTPM NPR reporter. This week, Assistant Managing Editor Ryan Zunner sits down with Reporter Holly Kirkpatrick to look into the developing situation regarding fire hydrants in Buffalo.
Ryan Zunner: Welcome to “A Closer Look.” I'm Ryan Zunner. This week, it was revealed that more than half of Buffalo's fire hydrants have low water volume. Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo told the Buffalo Common Council's Community Development Committee on Tuesday that more than 5,000 of the city's 8,000 hydrants are affected. BTPM NPR’s Holly Kirkpatrick was there and reported on this, and she's here to tell us more. Holly, thanks for joining me.
Holly Kirkpatrick: Hi, Ryan.
Zunner: So, why did the Council ask City representatives to speak on this issue?
Kirkpatrick: Well, Master District Representative Zeneta Everhart asked Fire Commissioner William Renaldo and city engineer Peter Merlo to the meeting after low water volume hindered firefighters' efforts to tackle a blaze in the City's Central Park neighborhood back on September 5. So that fire displaced at least one family and damaged three properties on Buffalo's Victoria Avenue. The Fire Commissioner was at the meeting to answer specific questions about that incident, as well as hydrant locations and functions. Merlo was there to represent the Buffalo Water Board, which is the entity responsible for inspecting and maintaining the hydrants.
Zunner: The Fire Commissioner revealed some new information in the meeting, specifically the areas most impacted by low water volume to fire hydrants. What did he say?
Kirkpatrick: Yes, so the East Side of Buffalo, as well as the University District, are the areas that have many hydrants with low water volume. He also mentioned parts of South Buffalo are affected. Though I want to point out that we haven't seen this map with that information because it's not yet in the public domain, so we're just going from what Renaldo said on public record in that meeting. But this information did cause concern, particularly for Council Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope, who questioned why such a widespread issue hadn't been brought to council members' attention.
Halton-Pope [Soundbite]: “I think the struggle that I'm having right now is the communities that are hit harder with taxes, the communities that struggle the most to get city services, are the ones that are suffering the most and have a pressure issue.”
Zunner: And what was Merlo's response?
Kirkpatrick: Well, he defended the Water Board's infrastructure strategy. Here's Merlo.
Peter Merlo [Soundbite]: “I believe that we have a program that is consistent in terms of addressing the needs, no matter where you live, no matter what part of the city, we prioritize based on the needs of the system.”
Kirkpatrick: He also explained that the Water Board recently completed a $25 million program where they updated multiple water mains based on system performance. He also touted a planned $75 million distribution system upgrade program, which he said is being designed right now and is not yet being signed off on by the council, but with all this talk of Buffalo Water's money and spending. Remember, the water board doesn't actually have a great recent track record when it comes to its cash handling skills.
Zunner: What do you mean by that?
Kirkpatrick: So, cast your mind back to December when it came to light that the Water Board had misallocated $11 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds. I reported on this at the time, and that money was meant to be spent on a debt relief forgiveness program for Buffalo Water customers to help them recover from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it turns out that they actually spent it on water infrastructure projects instead. Now that's a permissible use of the funds, but it wasn't how it was meant to be spent. In fact, Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon at the time even expressed his extreme disappointment over this discovery.
Zunner: Merlot told council members they inspect and test the city's fire hydrants every three years, right?
Kirkpatrick: Correct.
Zunner: But you found guidelines stating it should really be more?
Kirkpatrick: Exactly, that's right. So, National Fire Protection Association guidelines state that public fire hydrants should be inspected annually and flow tested every five years. Now, Merlo said they flow test every three years. So that's actually above and beyond those national guidelines. But there is still that point where Buffalo's hydrants are inspected less often than the national guidelines state. I informed Council Majority Leader Halton-Pope of this discrepancy, and here's her reaction.
Halton-Pope [Soundbite]: “I think it's deplorable, to be honest, it's very concerning to me that communities aren't getting what they need, and I'm not sure if there is a sense of urgency until there is a potential of a loss of life, and that caused me concerns.”
Zunner: So, with all this said and done, what is the council going to do?
Kirkpatrick: Well, Council Member Zeneta Everhart set Buffalo Water some homework. She wanted a list of projects that are happening across the city, along with a plan for how to deal with this low-volume issue, particularly on the East Side. She said it's something the city should be taking to Governor Kathy Hochul. She also asked that hydrants be inspected more frequently, and she requested that a map of hydrants and their related water flow be made public.
Zunner: Great, thank you, Holly. That was a closer look for this week here on BTPM NPR. If you want to hear Holly's original report on this issue, you can head to btpm.org/news. Thanks for listening to “A Closer Look.” I'm Ryan Zunner for BTPM NPR.
