Leaky Fire Hydrant? A Little Duct Tape May Do The Trick
(CBS) -- Do-it-yourself repairs are surfacing in some Chicago neighborhoods. For instance, some residents are patching up fire hydrants with duct tape and whatever else they can find.
The city is asking people to stop the stopgap measures, CBS 2's Jeremy Ross reports.
The leaky fire hydrant at 43rd and Champlain was plugged with coats and duct tape and still leaked. Neighbors say the neglected hydrant was causing dangerous ice to form.
A Water Department spokesperson says firefighters would simply move on to the next fire hydrant if they came across one that is broken during an emergency.
That said, Gary Litherland encourages residents to call 3-1-1 or go online to fill out a report, if a hydrant needs fixing.
"We try to get to them all within 24 hours," he says.