Renter concerned about leaking fire hydrant contacts Indiana’s I-Team

INDIANAPOLIS— An eastside man is concerned about a fire hydrant that’s been leaking for several weeks in his neighborhood.

Kyle Drew contacted Indiana’s I-Team for help.

“We just need an answer,” said Drew.

Drew lives in Blackburn Terrace, an apartment complex on the east side of Indianapolis.

The fire hydrant on his street is leaking water into the grass, onto the sidewalk, and into the street.

He’s worried about the mess, wasted water, and if firefighters can even use the hydrant.

“If it’s leaking this much, they might not even be able to get water out at this point,” said Drew.

He’s also concerned about the water making potholes worse or disguising them.

Indiana’s I-Team’s cameras were rolling as a car hit one of the potholes covered with water.

“Large trucks, larger cars, you can hear their shocks jumping,” said Drew. “It’s really loud and it’s dangerous because it’s going to end up getting somebody hurt out here.”

Drew said he contacted property management and Citizens Energy but the problem remained, so he contacted Indiana’s I-Team.

Indiana’s I-Team contacted Citizens Energy because they own and maintain 42,000 hydrants across Central Indiana.

But a Citizens Energy spokesperson told us the hydrant is not their responsibility because the hydrant is private.

The hydrant is the responsibility of property management at Blackburn Terrace, Indiana’s I-Team has learned.

Blackburn Terrace is managed by SHP Management Corp.

When Indiana’s I-Team stopped by the Blackburn Terrace office, it was closed.

So, Kara Kenney with Indiana’s I-Team called the corporate office and an employee told Kenney they’re working on hiring a plumber to get the leak fixed.

“We have contacted two plumbers or vendors to assess the situation and give us a bid of whether it can be repaired or if it can actually be replaced,”  the employee told us on September 9.  “It’s not being not addressed. We are just waiting on the final information so that we can proceed.”

Two days later, Kyle Drew sent us a picture of someone inspecting the hydrant.

But when Indiana’s I-team stopped by on September 17, the hydrant was wrapped up but is still leaking.

“We can’t keep like this,” said Drew. “Everybody pays their bills.”

If you have a leaking hydrant in your neighborhood, contact your water utility and if you’re a renter — also contact your property manager.

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