Report: Hundreds of Newark Fire Hydrants Don't Work

About 1 in 7 fire hydrants in Newark either don’t work at all or function poorly, a symptom of the problems plaguing the city’s aging, $750 million water system, according to a report published Sunday on NJ.com.

The problem hydrants included one on Brookdale Avenue where, in July 2012, fire broke out at a vacant building and spread to an adjacent home, claiming five lives, including three children. Firefighters were forced to connect to a hydrant down the street when water pressure dropped, although that is not believed to be a factor in the fatalities.

Fire Chief John Centanni told NJ.com some of the hydrants are so old replacement parts are no longer available. It costs about $4,000 to replace a hydrant.

"Let’s be honest, we know we have an old system and it has its issues. Yes, it causes delays," Centanni was quoted saying. "Many of these things we can overcome. There’s delays, but we overcome them through our whole response structure."

The city of Newark is in the midst of resuming control of the system from a nonprofit agency that effectively controlled Newark’s water for 40 years. A plan proposed by Mayor Cory Booker to create a public, independent authority to run the system was defeated after a long battle with the Newark Municipal Council.