First, find out whose hydrant it is
A hydrant that leaks, won't open or got clipped by a truck needs attention now. Location decides who you call.
If the hydrant stands on your property and is fed by your own underground fire service line, it's a private hydrant, and the property owner pays for the repair. NFPA 24 covers these private fire service mains and the hydrants and valves attached to them. That is the work we do.
A hydrant at the curb on a public street usually belongs to the water provider. The city names four water providers in Montebello (California Water Service, Montebello Land & Water Company, San Gabriel Valley Water Company & City of Montebello Water Department, and South Montebello Irrigation District), and which one serves a given block varies. Report a damaged street hydrant to that provider.
Not sure which you have? Call us and describe where it sits.
What usually goes wrong with a private hydrant
Most hydrant problems turn up during the annual test or right after something hits the hydrant. Common repairs include:
- An operating stem that's seized, bent or hard to turn
- Water seeping from the barrel, or pooling around the base, while the hydrant is shut
- Cracked or missing caps, stripped outlet threads and worn gaskets
- Leaks at the bonnet or packing
- A barrel knocked loose or broken off by a vehicle
- Faded paint that no longer shows the flow class (NFPA 291 sets the bonnet color code)
Some fixes are a simple part swap. Others are bigger. If the damage is below grade, the job can mean shutting off the main, digging out the hydrant and replacing parts underground, and a technician can usually tell you which kind of job it is after one look.
Repaired is not the same as tested
After the repair, flow it.
Under NFPA 25, private hydrants are inspected and flow tested every year. A repaired hydrant should also be opened, flowed and checked for leaks and proper drainage before anyone relies on it. If the repair falls close to your yearly test date, it often makes sense to do both in one visit. See annual fire hydrant testing in Montebello. A flow test draws water from the supply system, so it has to be scheduled with whichever provider serves your site.
Montebello Fire Department inspections
The Montebello Fire Department is run by the city. Its Community Risk Reduction Division handles fire code work for businesses. That includes fire and life safety inspections, inspections for new business licenses, plan review for new construction and fire investigations.
The department does state-mandated annual inspections throughout the year. To book one, call (323) 887-4507 or email fireinspection@montebelloca.gov. If you already know a hydrant is damaged, get it repaired before that visit.
Is it still a repair? If the job turns into replacing or moving a hydrant, ask the Division whether you need to submit plans. Plans go in through the Montebello Plan Submittal Portal or as three paper sets, and plan check and permit fees are due when you submit. For new hydrants, see fire hydrant installation in Montebello.
Licensed for hydrant work in California
Our California work is done by Hedrick Fire Protection. Hedrick holds C-16 (fire protection) and C-10 (electrical) contractor licenses and is licensed by the California State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for portable extinguisher service and for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems.
To book a hydrant repair in Montebello, call (213) 568-0188 or email socal@1profire.com. Give us the address. Tell us what you're seeing.
More Montebello fire protection pages
- Fire protection services in Montebello
- Private fire hydrant maintenance in Montebello
- Fire sprinkler service in Montebello
- Fire hydrant repair across Los Angeles County
- Fire hydrant repair in Orange County
Questions about hydrant repair
Who pays to fix a fire hydrant in Montebello?
It depends on who owns it. A hydrant on your property, fed by your private fire service main, is the owner's to repair. A street hydrant usually belongs to the water provider serving that block.
Does a hydrant need testing after it's repaired?
Yes. Flow it and check for leaks and drainage before you rely on it again.
Can a damaged hydrant wait until my next inspection?
It shouldn't. A hydrant that leaks or won't open may not deliver water when firefighters connect to it, so get it fixed first and then schedule the inspection.
Does replacing a hydrant need city approval?
It may. Ask the Montebello Fire Department's Community Risk Reduction Division, which handles plan review for new construction.