Is Your Fire Hydrant Looking Shabby?

Strongsville plans to launch a fire hydrant restoration project next year aimed at eliminating the eyesores some have become.

Service Director Joe Walker said the city has traditionally hired summer laborers to paint hydrants, but some now have five or six layers of paint.

Just painting again won't help much because of the rust underneath.

"They're far beyond that now," Walker said.

Instead, the city will contract with a company to sandblast the hydrants to the metal, then apply a primer and two coats of paint.

Cost is estimated at $144,000 a year as hydrants throughout the city are graudally addressed over the next five years. 

Walker said the aim is "to get them back to looking how they should look."

"Even the dogs are complaining now," he quipped.