BLYTHE - It's an ever-flowing oasis of sorts, centered in the parched, sandy hills of south Augusta.

"It's been running for years," said Allan Flanagan, groundwater production manager for the Augusta Utilities Department.

The free-flowing stream of water off U.S. Highway 1, however, isn't an Artesian well or a natural spring.

It's a fire hydrant.

Its constant flow has attracted curiosity over the years and occasional taxpayer irritation, but it's an unavoidable consequence, Mr. Flanagan said.

The county routinely flushes some of its hundreds of fire hydrants to maintain proper chlorine levels in water that must meet state environmental standards.

The Blythe hydrant, however, lies at the end of a long waterline that has just three customers over a two-mile span. That creates very little turnover in the water trapped in the line.

The solution: keep it flushed by releasing water, which helps prevent chlorine levels from falling below state standards.

It remains the only hydrant in the county that flows perpetually.

Russell Thies, assistant director in the department's construction & maintenance division, estimated the hydrant spills about 43,000 gallons of water daily, costing the system about $86. But the alternatives - costly construction or possible fines from state environmental regulators - would be much greater.

"Sometimes there has to be a little bit of waste to maintain quality in the system," Mr. Flanagan said.

Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119 or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.