Fire Hydrant Painting to Begin July 16
The City of Evanston Utilities Department has hired a contractor to paint fire hydrants in your area. The Contractor hired by the City is Alpha Paintworks. The work is scheduled to begin on Monday, July 16 and continue through August 31, 2012, weather permitting. Not all fire hydrants in the proposed area will be painted under this contract. If a hydrant is less than five years old or is privately owned, it will not be included.
Fire hydrants will be painted red. Prior to painting the fire hydrant, the contractor will sandblast to remove the old layers of paint. A layer of primer will be applied within 24 hours. This will be followed by two finish coats of paint. The process of sandblasting and applying all of the coats of paint will occur over several days. Each coat of paint is a different color of red to make it easier for the contractor to ensure good paint coverage and for our inspector to monitor the contractor’s progress. Therefore, earlier coats will not be the same shade as the final surface coat.
In order to sandblast and paint the fire hydrant, it is necessary for the contractor to have clear access to it. This means that there should be no shrubs or plantings around a fire hydrant. The primary purpose of fire hydrants is to provide a ready supply of water in the event of a fire. For this reason, hydrants should never be blocked, hidden or decorated in any way by plantings or other features, as this jeopardizes the ability of the Fire Department to quickly access hydrants during an emergency.
If residents have plantings or decorations around a fire hydrant that they wish to preserve, please remove them prior to July 16. The contractor will make no effort to protect plantings located around fire hydrants as per the contract. The City Code requires property owners to apply for a permit prior to planting shrubs in the parkway. If you have received such a permit for plantings that are within five feet of a fire hydrant, please contact the Utilities Department for further coordination.
If residents have any questions or comments, please contact Andrea Hill, at 847/878-5022. Fire Hydrant Painting Area Map here>>>