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Protect Meters and Hydrants from Damage by Debris Collection Crews

Release Date: 02/10/2006
Contact Information: Cynthia Fanning at 504-731-8680 or [email protected]

(Metairie, Louisiana - Feb. 10, 2006) Environmental responders are asking residents to place debris away from water meters and fire hydrants. Several meters and hydrants have been damaged by crews picking up debris with heavy equipment.

Collection crews often use forklifts and other equipment to pick up debris. When they can't see meters and hydrants, it's harder to protect them from damage. Residents can help accelerate the pace of recovery in Louisiana by keeping debris away from water meters and fire hydrants.

A public service announcement about curbside debris separation is available for radio stations to download at https://www.epa.gov/region6 as an MP3 file (scroll down to "Available Audio Files" and look in the lower right corner of the chart for "Separating Wastes"). At the same website, a flyer is available with a graphic to provide further clarification.

For more information about hurricane response activities, visit https://www.epa.gov/katrina/ or http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/.