Sheared hydrant stirs water supply

An accident involving a fire hydrant hit by a vehicle Friday afternoon caused some Ramona residents to temporarily experience brownish water coming out of their faucets, leading to concerns about the safety of the water.

No boil alert was issued because the water was not harmful, said Ramona Municipal Water District General Manager Ralph McIntosh.

When the fire hydrant at Highway 67 and Carnation Way was hit, the water flow stirred up sediment in the bottom of the pipeline, said McIntosh.

“It stirs up the whole system,” he said. “It’s nothing that’s harmful or a health issue at all.”

McIntosh said the water district received seven or eight calls from customers reporting discolored water and staff returned phone calls.

Resident Ed Anthony, who lives at the corner of Ashley Road and Hanson Lane, said he noticed the brownish water Friday evening and called the water district around 8 a.m. Saturday. He said the message service explained what caused the discoloration and that the water would clear up in a few hours.

“They should put out a notification to let people know what is going on,” said Anthony.

No matter how simple the issue is, residents do not know the problem and whether it is safe to use the water, he said. “That’s their responsibility to keep us advised of what’s going on with the water.”

McIntosh was unaware that Anthony did not receive a return phone call from staff. He said RMWD staff members responded to the concerns and flushed the hydrants in the area and the water cleared up Saturday morning. He added that lab personnel routinely test the water so the district would know if the water was unsafe.

According to McIntosh, the accident, which occurred around 4 p.m., was a hit and run.