Opening a hydrant is one of the ways some New Yorkers stay cool during the summer. However, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYDEP) said a spray cap is needed when doing so.

Beth DeFalco, deputy commissioner of communications and public affairs with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, said not only do open hydrants have the possibility of hindering water pressure for fighting fires, it can also impact the water pressure in homes.

"Specifically, we have a lot of open hydrants. You can tend to have water pressure issues. So that can affect people. You know, getting home, trying to take a shower or doing that," shared DeFalco.

Illegally opening a fire hydrant can result in fines of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 30 days or both.

New Yorkers are urged to get spray caps for free from their local firehouses.

"If you don't have a spray cap on a fire hydrant is about a thousand gallons of water per minute that we're losing. You put a spray cap on now, it's 20 gallons," DeFalco explained.

On Thursday, DeFalco reported that the NYDEP had more staff than normal working, with a certain group of workers on Hydrant Patrol.

"These are all the supplies that we're using to respond to open hydrants. 311 calls. So far, we've had about twice as many as we normally have. Those are really helpful. If you see an open hydrant that's running. Please let us know. We'll either go and put a spray cap on it or turn it off," said DeFalco.

"New York City in the summer uses about 1.3 billion gallons of water a day. It's a lot of water. Today, we're already at 1.4 billion. And that was just a few hours ago. So yesterday we did 1.6. So we're really passing very, you know, very highly what we normally use, " she continued.

If you observe a running hydrant, please report it immediately by using the NYC 311 mobile app or by calling 311. Quick reporting helps DEP respond rapidly and maintain safe, reliable water service.

To report via the app:

Or call 311 and provide the location details.