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Watermark > Spring 2002 > Features: Fire Hydrants: Life Safety and Life Threatening?

Features

Fire Hydrants: Life Safety and Life Threatening?

By Doug Dolan, Cross Connection Control Chair

Brief History of Hydrants
No one really knows for sure just when the first type of hydrant was invented or by whom, But in the very early times we do know, that water in stored vessel or cauldron was the hydrants first form. Documents found in China allude to this style of storing water that was used for the fighting of fire.

The first “post type” hydrant was credited to Mr. Frederick Graff, Chief engineer of the Philadelphia Water Works around the year 1801. New York’s first fire hydrant was installed in 1808, and was made from wood. By the year 1817 the first iron hydrants were being manufactured and were replacing the older wooden types. Most of the hydrants on the east coast were known as the “dry barrel” type, meaning that the water to the portion above ground had to be turned on by a valve located below the surface. The depth of bury on these depended of course on the climate. Around 1854 a very inventive young man named Morris Greenburg, whose company, M. Greenburg’s Sons invented and produced its proudest product. They called it the “California” hydrant. This design is what the industry calls a “wet barrel” hydrant. The hydrants maintained constant pressure at the surface, were considerably handier and more reliable than the Eastern types.

Although materials have improved and some elements of hydrant design have been refined, the basic form of both the dry barrel and wet barrel hydrants have endured relatively unchanged since the mid-1880s.

Use
The modern day hydrant is something that most of us take for granted. We see them every day but probably do not realize just how much we depend and rely on them. Building Codes require that construction of buildings be within a certain distance of a hydrant, usually 45 meters. The responsibility of maintaining the hydrants rests upon the municipality or city. Hydrants must be checked annually or semi-annually to ensure that they are able to perform to their capability when called upon. This maintenance comes in the form of flushing out the hydrants regularly, and making sure that all parts are functioning.

Abuse
All cities and municipalities keep as close watch on the use of their fire hydrants as they possibly can. If for example private company wishes to use a hydrant for filling a street cleaning machine, or if they need to fill a tanker truck they must adhere to the cities requirements for doing so. This will come in the form of what we call a “HYDRANT USE PERMIT”. The company or individual must conform to the requirements that are written on the document. This generally means that some form of “backflow protection” will be required. If the city has the manpower to spare, then an inspector will determine if the vehicle extracting water from any hydrant have an approved “Air gap” built in or that a “backflow assembly” be used to protect the high risk of contamination of the public water mains, through these privately owned vehicles. You just never know where these vehicles have been! Pictured on page 19 (follows) are examples of a “HYDRANT USE PERMIT” indicating the type of backflow required by the city. The details of course may vary from place to place, but, as required by the AWWA an RPBA, reduced pressure backflow assembly, is mandatory in this case. The RPBA is generally not supplied by the city, but must be by the company or individual whose vehicle is using the hydrant for whatever purpose. In some cases a Test Report is required by the city, ensuring that the backflow assembly being used for the application has been tested during the year of use. The test report contains vital information on the company and person performing the test. The validity of certification of the tester with the BCWWA list of certified testers is usually done through the Cross Connection Program Manager/Coordinator. In some cased the city will provide a backflow assembly for those companies vehicles that do not have an “air gap” or “backflow assembly” (see pictures below City of Calgary). The city will of course require a deposit fee for using their assembly, sometimes as much a $1,000, (these babies aren’t cheap).

One of the greatest risks to a city is the “private hydrant”. These are private fire hydrants located on multi-family townhouse or commercial developments. Because the fire hydrant is not “maintained” by the city, they have no way of knowing if it is being checked annually or flushed. In some developments there are right of ways where the water main runs serving domestic services to groups of townhouse and also branches to hydrants. In this situation these hydrants are maintained by the city. Some cities mark their hydrants with a numbering system e.g. M- 124. This is done for two reasons, the first of which identifies the hydrant as one of the ones maintained by the utility. Most private hydrants are not numbered and are often painted a different color that city hydrants. The second reason is that many cities have hydrant maps showing all the hydrants located both on and off city property, the maps will show the hydrant number and these numbers can be coordinated with the amount of pressure in the city mains at this point. But when the hydrants are not serviced by the city, the most dangerous situation is who is using it and what are they using if for. Without a Cross Connection Control Program to monitor and correct this, it could cause contamination of the public water mains through improper use. As diligent as most cities are at protecting their public water main from contamination through cross connection at fire hydrants, they can’t monitor them constantly. There have been instances where city water works employees have caught people using hydrants without permission, and without backflow protection. So the next time you drive by a hydrant and see someone hooked up to it, take the time to see if they using the necessary backflow protection…..…your life could depend on it!

HYDRANT USE PERMIT (sample)
Application Date: ___________________________
Work Order Number: _________________________
Applicant Name: ____________________________
Applicant Address: ___________________________
Company Name: ______________________________
Company Address:______________________________
Company Phone No.: ________________________
Cellular No.: ________________________________

Hydrant No. (s) _______________and ______________
Location (s)_________________and _______________
Permit Start Date:___________________
Permit Completion Date: ______________________
Permit Start Date:_____________________
Permit Completion Date: _______________________
Purpose: __________________________

Approved By: _____________________
Signature:________________________
(Customer Service)

NOTE: The holder of this permit is responsible for all damage to equipment and property, including environmental damage which may occur. This permit is only good for the above dates and locations, is not transferable, and is subject to cancellation without notice. Provisions of Water Distribution Bylaw No. 2973, 1995 apply.

Hydrant Procedures:

  1. Check if hydrant is off with hydrant wrench.
  2. Take off cap slowly.
  3. Attach hydrant adapter which should contain:
    1. isolating valve
    2. RPBA (Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly)
  4. Open hydrant fully, bleed air off with isolating valve.
  5. Regulate flow with isolating valve.
  6. Shut down isolating valve slowly then shut down hydrant slowly.
  7. Check if hydrant is off and draining by putting hand over open port (suction indicates proper draining)
  8. After suction has quit, replace cap.
  9. Report any problems with hydrant to Operations Customer Service at 927-3500

White Copy: Customer
Yellow Copy: Fire Prevention
Pink Copy: Water Department
Goldenrod Copy: Fire Dispatch

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