As the installation process of new fire hydrants continues, Franklinton Public Works Superintendent Reggie McMasters said some water customers might experience temporary outages.

McMasters said the installations will take place in the near future in various parts of town.

He said Public Works will do its best to place “doorknob knockers” at all homes in the communities where crews will be working that day. He noted the alerts might not reach everyone since he can’t be sure exactly who will lose service when water is cut off to the hydrant.

That is one of the issues with the old hydrants, and the new models are equipped with cutoff valves intended to make it easier to determine which streets or areas will lose service when the water is turned off.

The town received 14 new fire hydrants this summer through a $23,060 grant from the Division of Administration. McMasters said several have been installed so far, and about 10 remain. He said installation can take as long as two to three hours or be completed as quickly as one hour, depending on the hydrant.

McMasters said the upgrades are much needed and that he has been working with Fire Chief Chad Manning during this process.

Old fireplugs are being changed out through the project, and McMasters said the first few to be replaced were from 1958. He said the hydrants are being upgraded to meet current standards.

“These are some much-needed repairs as the town grows and as we move into the future,” he said.