To report a WSSC fire hydrant leak, please call 301-206-4002. The easiest way to identify a WSSC hydrant is by its color; all of WSSC fire hydrants are painted with a green top and a white or light gray body.

WSSC Fire Hydrants Fact Sheet

Under the inspection and maintenance program, WSSC crews physically inspect each hydrant once every three years. Approximately 13,000 inspections are conducted in the two counties every year.
WSSC conducts its hydrant inspections on a three-year cycle because of the size of our system. Our 40,000-plus hydrants are spread out over 5,300 miles of water pipe. This cycle is based on the amount of time it takes to conduct a full inspection of each hydrant.
Most of the inspections occur during the summer months. More than 10,000 are conducted between April and September.
During a typical inspection, WSSC crews:
- Conduct a visual inspection
- Conduct routine maintenance (oiling and greasing cylinders, exercise valve, replace caps as necessary, etc.)
- Check fire hydrant against WSSC records, including age of fire hydrant
- Measure the water pressure and flow rate
- Compare water pressure and flow rate against historical data
WSSC’s goal is to repair every hydrant taken out of service due to an unplanned disruption within seven calendar days. WSSC achieves this goal 95 percent of the time.
Fire hydrants are made of cast iron materials and can last more than 50 years. However, the internal working parts, such as gaskets and seats, require routine maintenance or replacement. This is the reason why WSSC has a proactive inspection program.