WOWK 13 News

Why can’t fire departments fill swimming pools?

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — You may think that filling a swimming pool with water from a fire hydrant would be the easiest way to do it. But the reason firefighters can’t is that it is considered theft.

According to the Clendenin Volunteer Fire Department, they say West Virginia American Water views using a fire hydrant to fill up a pool as theft.

Another reason is the cleanliness of the water. They say firefighters will use water from creeks, streams and rivers to fill up their tanks occasionally.

The fire department says they can only use water from fire hydrants for firefighting and for training.