Detroit dedicates $7M to fix broken fire hydrants across the city

Over 1K broken fire hydrants across the city

DETROIT – A decision was made by Detroit to fix the broken fire hydrants that are scattered across the city.

The decision comes after the head of Detroit’s water and sewerage department was confronted about why these problems exist and what is going to be done to fix the issues.

Previous story: How 1K broken fire hydrants across Detroit could be putting your home, business at risk

Deb Sumner lives in southwest Detroit near a major trouble spot.

She told Local 4 she has seen firsthand what happens when hydrants don’t work.

“They’re running up and down the block looking for a working fire hydrant,” said Sumner. “One did not work, the nearest one. One down the block didn’t work. They finally hit water up there. "

It’s not just the broken fire hydrants that are the issues. Sources told Local 4 that there is a low water pressure issue that the Detroit fire department is dealing with.

Earlier on Wednesday, Local 4 attended a waterboard meeting to see how the city is addressing this issue and how they are going to fix the problem.

The solution? The city approved more than $7 million in emergency funding to fix the broken hydrants and crews will be out there starting on Monday.

Related: Detroit now has $100M to replace lead service lines over next 3 years


Click here to make a report of a broken hydrant in your neighborhood.



About the Authors:

Karen Drew is the anchor of Local 4 News First at 4, weekdays at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. She is also an award-winning investigative reporter.