Ortonville- The village may have its first fire hydrant ever just in time for Christmas in the Village Dec. 5.
The village council unanimously approved at their Nov. 9 meeting a motion to proceed with the installation of a fire protection well for the village that will supply between 300-350 gallons of water per minute for firefighting purposes.
Pending approval of the township board at their Nov. 16 meeting, Fire Chief
David Kwapis hopes to have C.E. Layman & Son Well Drilling, Inc. of Ortonville install the well on property located next to the Old Town Hall at a cost of $27,150.
‘Once it is done, it will be the first hydrant in the village of Ortonville,? Kwapis said. ‘It will give us a better water supply. We have some dry hydrants in the village, but they are beyond repair, unusable.?
Kwapis explained that the changing of the creekbed over the years has plugged up the hydrants with sediment and debris.
‘The new well will bypass all the problems and will be put in the heart of the downtown area, which is where we are lacking sufficient water supply.?
The new well may also reap some financial benefits for downtown business owners in particular, as Kwapis seeks an ISO rating reduction. The ISO, International Organization for Standardization, provides set standards for fire protection and insurance companies that contract with the ISO for ratings. The ISO scale for fire protection ranges from 10 to one, with the lower the number, the greater the fire protection. The village currently has a ?6? rating and missed the ?5? rating the township has due to lack of reliable water sources. A lower ISO rating could mean lower insurance premiums for residents and business owners currently at the ?6? rating.