Boil advisory issued for several Lake City streets after fire hydrant replaced

LAKE CITY, S.C. (WBTW) — Several streets in Lake City remained under a boil-water advisory Wednesday after city workers replaced a fire hydrant on Palm Circle.

Water was shut off for several hours while workers removed a defective hydrant and replaced it with a new one that includes a water cut-off valve.

“The valve means we don’t have to shut off water to the neighborhood should the hydrant need maintenance in the future,” said Sterling Mallette, crew chief of the team responsible for the upkeep and replacement of the city’s water and sewer lines.

The old hydrant, which was installed in 1969, was marked for replacement during recent flow-testing and inspections.

“Something broke in the hydrant and it isn’t repairable, so we are replacing it,” Mallette said.

The cost of replacing a fire hydrant is between $3,500 and $4,500, plus labor, according to Ricky Sims, the city’s public works and utility services director. It is being paid for using funds from the water operating budget, which plans for the replacement of two-to-three hydrants each year.

Inspections are completed on every city hydrant annually, and the flow testing, which examines the rate of water flowing when the hydrant is open, is performed every three years, Fire Chief Randy Driggers said.

Additional hydrants are scheduled for replacement in the coming months and water shut-off and boil advisory notices will be published on the city’s website and Facebook page in advance, a city spokesperson said.

Following is a list of streets affected by the boil advisory.

• E. Claff Circle
• E. Village Road
• London Avenue
• Graham Road
• Palm Circle
• Maple Drive
• Peter Street