Route 10 Fire Hydrant Replaced After Overnight Crash

HAMDEN, CT — Regional Water Authority crews replaced a Route 10 fire hydrant on Wednesday after a car hit the hydrant early that morning, causing water to spill out of it.

Route 10 (aka Whitney Avenue) was closed in both directions between Mt. Carmel Avenue and Sherman Avenue all day Wednesday, and it reopened early Thursday morning.

During the closure, RWA crews contained the water spillage, assessed the damage and replaced the hydrant and its associated piping, the company said in a news release.

The workers also filled a void under Route 10 to prepare for temporary patching and cleaned up the street to get it ready for drivers, RWA said.

Read more: Route 10 Closed In Both Directions Due To Overnight Crash: Police

Only three customers had water service interrupted during the repairs, though some of the area's 17,000 customers reported discolored water — which occurs when "flushing" water mains, a process that is typically necessary during emergency repairs, RWA said.

Anyone whose water is discolored should run a single cold water faucet for five to 10 minutes, RWA said. If discoloring continues after that, the company recommends turning off the water, waiting an hour and trying again.

Both RWA and the Hamden Police Department thanked the public for their patience during the road closures.

"These emergency events can cause temporary disruptions in our service, our team is focused on fulfilling the RWA's higher purpose — to make life better for people by delivering water for life," Larry Bingaman, RWA President and CEO, said in a statement. "It was the hard work and collaboration of our RWA crews in the field, our team in the Operations Center, and our partners with the Town of Hamden and the State of Connecticut, which help us fulfill that higher purpose."