Open a Fire Hydrant and Keep Cool the Old-Fashioned Way

Temperatures in the past weeks climbed dangerously close to the 100 degree mark, and practically everyone in Brooklyn was looking for a way to cool off.

But iced lattes and ice cream can only bring so much relief, leaving the nostalgic enchantment of an age-old New York past time—the busting open of a fire hydrant—tantalizingly within reach.

For many, the vision of opened fire hydrants jet-streaming into the streets, kids shrieking and jumping in and out of the icy stream, invokes both an urban, old-time city feeling as well as the thrill of delinquent fun. We've all been told we're not supposed to do it, but it's impossible not to envy the satisfied grins of children and young adults who splash away.

But recent reports said opening fire hydrants need not be delinquent—as long as we use the correct equipment.

This is confirmed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which states that fire hydrants may be legally and safely opened if someone over the age of 18 years installs a spray cap cover. These can be obtained free of charge at a local fire station. The application requires a form, valid proof of age and an appointment at the firehouse.

A recent stroll along Court and Clinton streets led us to plenty of residents willing to entertain the idea of the legally opened hydrant.

Seven-year-old Mariya Schults, who is looking forward to entering the second grade in September, said she things a fire hydrant-turned sprinkler is “a great idea,” but she is quick to point out a catch.

“I know you are not supposed to do it or you get in trouble," she said. "I don't think our mom would let us, either,” the wary child concluded, her brother Jeremy and a few other friends playing nearby.

Although they have seen the hydrants open before, she said, it sounds more like stuff from the movies.

Not so, says firefighter Mike Tracey of the local fire brigade Ladder 131. Standing on the corner of Luquer and Court streets in Carroll Gardens, Tracey explained the rules.

“If you come to us with a permit for a block party, we'll open a hydrant for you—although you have to get a permit from the police department," he said.

Tracey said most instances of opened hydrants these days are for bigger events—and most residents do seek permission, although the station does receive occasional complaints to shut down an unattended opened hydrant in the neighborhood.

New York in the summer is a steamy power guzzler; besides electricity and gas power, over 1 billion gallons of water can easily be used up by New Yorkers in a day. Add to that a few open fire hydrants, and the city is looking at levels of water loss that could be seriously detrimental to the water supply.

An open fire hydrant releases water at a high pressure level, up to 1,000 gallons per minute, and if left open too long, may drastically reduce pressure levels necessary to quell actual fires—never mind the physical injury a high pressure water stream can cause to children.

This is where the spray cap comes into play. According to the DEP, affixing a spray cap to the fire hydrant reduces water pressure and releases a comparatively modest 20 to 25 gallons of water per minute, as opposed to the potential gallons of water generated from an uncapped hydrant valve.

Tracey says he does see people come into the station (located on the corner of Lorraine and Hamilton streets in Red Hook) requesting spray caps and help opening a hydrant, but with increased safety awareness and hefty fines, this is no longer the casual kid-run past time it once was. The heat wave, he added, has not inspired more than “the average amount” of open hydrants in the area.

Still, for Robert Ortiz, who grew up in Gowanus in the 1950's, there's nothing that speaks of summer as strongly as an open fire hydrant on a street corner, when the whole block used to come out and play.

“We didn't have A.C. back then” the Hamilton Avenue resident, now in his mid 70s, said. “It was really the only way to keep cool and out of bigger trouble.”