Section 811.71. Hydrants.

 

(1)   Location. Fire hydrants shall be provided at each street intersection and at intermediate points between intersections. Generally, fire hydrant spacing may range from 350 to 600 feet depending on the type of area being served and the individual fire hose length and fire fighting practices utilized by each system.

(2)   Size. Fire hydrants shall have a bottom valve size of at least 5 inches, one 4.5-inch pumper nozzle, and 2 2.5-inch nozzles unless the waterworks has established other hydrant criteria which are in accordance with AWWA standards C502 and C503 in effect at the time of design and are approved by the department. The connecting main between the supply main and the hydrants shall be a minimum of 6 inches in diameter.

(3)   Restrictions. Fire hydrants may not be installed on proposed water mains which will not have minimum flow and pressure as required in s. NR 811.70 (6) . The department may approve the installation of hydrants if system improvements which will make at least 500 gpm available at 20 psi are planned for construction within one year following construction of the proposed improvements. If the department approves the installation of hydrants which do not meet the minimum flow and pressure requirements of s. NR 811.70 (6) , the hydrants shall be color coded or tagged and the fire chief shall be notified in writing that fire department pumpers may not be connected to the hydrants until the necessary additional improvements are made and fire flow tests have shown that greater than the minimum required flow and pressure are available.

(4)   Drains. Hydrant drains may not be connected to, or located within 8 feet of sanitary sewers, storm sewers, or storm sewer inlets. If groundwater rises above the drain port, hydrant drain ports shall be permanently plugged prior to installation or hydrants with no drain ports installed and hydrant barrels shall be pumped dry during freezing weather. If hydrant drain ports are not plugged, a gravel pocket or dry well shall be provided unless the department finds that the natural earth will provide adequate drainage.

(5)   Auxiliary valves on hydrant leads. Auxiliary valves shall be installed in hydrant leads off transmission water mains, off water mains in commercial and industrial districts and off all water mains 12 inches and larger.

(6)   Service laterals on hydrant leads prohibited. Service laterals may not be installed on hydrant leads.

(7)   Flushing hydrants. Flushing hydrants or blow-off installations shall be installed at all dead ends and at intermediate locations as necessary in order to remove sediment and optimize water quality for all water systems that do not provide fire protection. Flushing hydrants shall be sized to provide a minimum velocity of 2.5 feet per second in the water main being flushed. Flushing hydrants shall allow frost-proof operation. If necessary, flushing hydrants shall be pumped out prior to freezing weather.

(8)   Sampling hydrants and faucets. All water systems shall be provided with a sufficient number of sampling faucets, hydrants, or stations to provide representative water quality sampling sites throughout the water distribution system including extremities and dead ends. An adequate number of sampling sites shall be provided as required under the department's monitoring plan requirements contained in ch. NR 809 to meet all of the department's water quality sampling requirements. Sampling faucets, hydrants, and stations shall be protected from contamination and vandalism to the extent possible. Locks shall be provided for sampling station enclosures. Fire hydrants may not be considered as sampling hydrants. All sampling locations shall be pumped out prior to freezing weather if necessary. Sampling installations may not have drain-to-soil weep ports and shall not drain to any sanitary or storm sewer.

History: CR 09-073 : cr. Register November 2010 No. 659 , eff. 12-1-10.

Note

The department recommends that auxiliary valves be installed in all hydrant leads. Also, hydrants of the type that remain closed when the barrels are broken off are recommended. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1