NORTH SHELBY – Some minor inconveniences for residents in the Cahaba Valley Fire district will ensure their fire department can keep them safe.

Cahaba Valley Fire and EMR District crews will be testing fire hydrants across the district until mid-June.

Residents of areas served by CVFD—including North Shelby County communities of Brook Highland, Highland Lakes, Eagle Point, Shoal Creek, The Narrows, Smyers Lake, Fowler Lake, Holly Brook Lake and the town of Mt Laurel—could possibly experience cloudy water, reduced flow and short traffic delays.

Grant Wilkinson, public information officer for the department, said hydrants are tested annually.

“They’re looking for how the water flows…compared to other hydrants,” Wilkinson said. “When crews arrive on the scene of a fire, we can know what kind of performance to expect and whether we need to add a second hydrant to the scene.”

Silt often settles in water lines during everyday use, but the level of flow created by testing fire hydrants can stir up sediment and make residents’ water cloudy for a couple of hours after a test.

The tests can also lower the water pressure for the rest of the system for a short time, and the presence of flowing hydrants and fire department vehicles could create minor traffic hindrances.

Wilkinson said tests are usually conducted during weekdays so as to reduce the inconvenience.

For more information about Cahaba Valley Fire and EMR District, visit CahabaValleyFire.org.