A spokesperson for the Rural Municipality of Tache has shed some light on why the new fire hydrants in Landmark stand so far off the ground.

Tache has been working on a $12 million upgrade to the community's water system. This includes the installation of fire hydrants. But, once the hydrants started being put in place, some residents began to question why they stood so far off the ground. Tache Chief Administrative Officer Christine Hutlet says it is actually a cost savings move and only very temporary.

"They order all of the fire hydrants extra long because of the cost savings that they see in the labour," explains Hutlet. "Because, otherwise they would have to hydrovac each site to get a depth of where they have to go to get beyond the utilities."

She notes it is cheaper for them to install the fire hydrants and then go back and cut them down to a proper height at a later date.

According to Hutlet, the work started last weekend and will likely continue over the next couple of weeks.

Questions have also surfaced in Landmark regarding the location of where the hydrants have been positioned. For example, it has been suggested there are not enough hydrants along the business section of Landmark's Main Street.

Hutlet explains the location was determined during the design stage with the engineers in conjunction with Manitoba Water Services Board. They worked to get the most optimal positions for the hydrants in order to reach the volume of residences and buildings in Landmark.

Hutlet admits there is some significant distances between the fire hydrants along Main Street. However, she says there is a contingency fund which should allow them to add a few hydrants over the next year or two.

"The engineers and Water Services Board felt that was our best moving forward plan, was to get them where we have now and then see where we are at a later date," she explains.

The hydrants cost about $15,000 apiece.

Meanwhile, Hutlet says the distribution system is not yet online. Even though the fire hydrants are in place, she says that portion of the system will not become active until the water treatment plant is completed. Hutlet says she expects it will be closer to fall before the fire hydrants are up and running.