What’s there to investigate about the fire that destroyed the home of former D.C. Board of Education President Peggy Cooper Cafritz on Chain Bridge Road? Either fire hydrants worked or they didn’t. Either the water pressure was adequate or it wasn’t. It’s just that simple. But the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority and fire department are doing the butt-covering dance.
“We have already begun a thorough and transparent review of the performance of the distribution system [and] expect this comprehensive review will be completed within days,” Johnnie Hemphill Jr., chief of staff to WASA’s interim general manager, wrote on July 30 in response to concerns raised by D.C. Councilwoman Mary Cheh.
Her questions weren’t complicated. She asked, for example, how WASA determines the amount of water pressure to maintain in a particular area; do fire trucks carry their own water in case of malfunctioning fire hydrants; and are firefighters informed of which hydrants near a fire are operational.
“It will take a period of time to determine what occurred and what long-term solutions are necessary to avoid future water supply problems,” Fire Chief Dennis Rubin replied.
“I’m sort of disgusted,” Cheh told me this week. She’s waiting for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty to provide answers as promised.
It’s not as if these problems of faulty fire hydrants and inadequate water pressure are new. They were cited as complications in the Georgetown Library fire two years ago. After that incident, WASA and fire officials were called before the council. There were investigations, promises of a survey of hydrants and a plan for repairs.
“What the hell has been going on for the last two years?” Cheh asked.
Before the fire, residents of the Chain Bridge Road area complained about water pressure; they were ignored. These are some of the people that Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham has been champing at the bit to tax. Upper-income District residents catch hell: They’re accused of not carrying their load, although they pay an enormous amount of taxes. They make no demands for services. And yet, when they need their government, it fails them every time.
When former New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum was attacked, the Metropolitan Police, the city’s emergency medical system and Howard University all failed him. He died on a gurney in the emergency room. Last week, Cafritz’s life’s work, personal belongings and memories went up in flames because WASA ignored residents’ concerns and the fire department didn’t know the status of equipment it uses to perform its job.
“Sometimes a tragedy is what provokes action,” said Cheh, remembering that Rosenbaum’s family agreed not to file a lawsuit if the city reformed the emergency medical system. “[That} did lead to real and material changes.”
So, raise your hand if you agree with me: Cafritz and other Chain Bridge Road residents should sue WASA and the District government.
Jonetta Rose Barras, host of WPFW’s “D.C. Politics With Jonetta,” can be reached at [email protected].
