Heat - and open hydrants - in Camden leave some without water

A Camden City employee (with sunglasses) tells neighbors on Vine Street that their open hydrant and others are causing a water emergency in the city. (ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer)

By Angelo Fichera, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: June 23, 2012

As temperatures rose into the mid-90s Thursday, some Camden neighborhoods west of the Cooper River had little or no running water, due to the number of opened fire hydrants.

Because of the low flow, the city advised residents in affected neighborhoods to boil water or use bottled water until further notice.

Low pressure "creates a danger for the entire community," said Rich Henning, a spokesman for United Water, which serves Camden. "The gravest danger is that there is not enough water for firefighters to fulfill their obligation to protect the public from fires."

Sheila Roberts, president of the Cooper Landing Civic Association, said that when she walked into her home just before 5 p.m., "barely any" water was coming out of her faucet.

Roberts saw a number of fire hydrants open on Third Street, she said, presumably tapped by people trying to cool off. She said she would call people in her neighborhood, many of whom are seniors, to notify them of the boil-water alert.

Others said their water pressure had not been affected.

Watching community members avert the heat by swimming in the fountain in front of the Walt Whitman Center for the Arts, Tasha Smith, 23, said her apartment building in North Camden had running water.

"Out here," she said, "our water's fine."

The city also issued a mandatory restriction on nonessential water use, such as washing cars, filling pools, and watering grass. Boiled water should be used for drinking, preparing food, washing dishes, and brushing teeth.

Scarce water caused the Camden Riversharks to call off their Thursday game against the Long Island Ducks. On its website, the team said it was "unable to operate without water due to fire and health codes." Tickets can be used at a future Riversharks game.

Opening or turning on fire hydrants is a federal offense that can lead to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail, the city reminded residents in a news release. The city asked residents with water-related issues to call United Water at 1-800-334-9781.

Contact Angelo Fichera at 856-779-3814 or afichera@philly.com, or follow on Twitter @AJFichera.

Inquirer staff writer Darran Simon contributed to this article.