Avon Lake's White Fire Hydrants: Good Luck in the Snow

Several residents driving around town the past few days have been startled to see some fire hydrants have been painted the not-so-typical white.

Councilwoman Jennifer Fenderbosch said she received several calls from residents concerned that the hydrants wouldn’t be visible in the snow.

White hydrants have been spotted around town, including the intersection at Walker Road and SR 83 and along Lear Road. 

“The residents were serious,” Fenderbosch said, adding she called Fire Chief Bill Morris for an explanation.

Morris sent out an email to alert council members who might be receiving similar calls.

“In case you receive a phone call from a ‘concerned citizen,’ as Mrs. Fenderbosch did, the fire hydrants are not being painted white so they will be difficult to find in the snow,” Morris said in an email. “They are being painted with a white primer coat which we hope will slow down the rust bleed through problem we have experienced with hydrants that were painted just a few years ago.”

Morris said that once the primer has dried the hydrants will be painted with the same yellow and white as they have been in the past, but hopefully will look better for a longer period of time and avoid the need to be repainted every three to four years.

Until they are painted, expect to see a number of white hydrants in town. The good news: The National Weather Service is not predicting snow in the next few months.