Decreasing water levels have meant firefighters in Somers are no longer able to use some of their “dry hydrants” to help fight fires in town.
A total of 3.6 million people in Connecticut are being impacted by a statewide drought, according to Connecticut’s Department of Agriculture.
In rural communities such as Somers, the fire department said its dry hydrants and water sources are experiencing low levels of water.
In a statement to NBC Connecticut, the Fire Chief David Lenart said the low water levels are impacting the department’s operations, including its training.
The Somers Fire Department has eight dry hydrants, but said three are currently out of service due to low water levels. One of those is located at Worthington Vineyard and Winery.
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Owner Mark Murdoch said this is the lowest he’s seen the pond, which supplies water to the town in case of a fire.
“When they put it in, in the spring, it looked great,” he said. “But as you can see now, the water is a little lower. It’s actually not even touching the water now.”
State officials are urging everyone to be mindful of water consumption and use fire safety precautions.
