The following policy shall be utilized in the installation of water mains, water supplies and hydrant installations for fire protection. All such installations must conform with the Fire Code.
(A) Introduction. In order to provide adequate fire protection to the town, the following policy has been adopted to ensure adequate water supply for fire protection. This policy is informed by Fire Department experience; National Fire Codes; ANSI Standards; AWWA Standards; Fire Insurance Regulations from the State Department of Insurance (I.S.O.); and practices of the town's Public Works Department. The primary goals of the policy are to attain adequate fire protection of life and property, set forth an orderly development of a fire hydrant protection system and set forth the guidelines and rules for the fire hydrant protection system. This policy will be made available to all persons by the Fire Department upon request. It is recommended that all persons who wish to locate business or residential properties in the jurisdiction of the town request a copy of this policy prior to application for building permits.
(B) New development; building renovations, additions and changes of use.
(1) The following guidelines shall apply to new buildings for which a building permit is required, new subdivisions, or any new commercial, industrial or residential construction project.
(a) The Fire Department shall review all new development building plans to determine fire hydrant protection requirements for the proposed development. Sufficient information as required by the Fire Department shall be submitted to determine the criteria for water flow quantity and hydrant number, location and spacing.
(b) Hydrants shall be installed in accordance with this Chapter and Chapter 50 of this code and shall be available for service prior to the beginning of building construction except as specifically provided in this section.
(c) For new subdivisions where a performance guarantee is accepted for completion of water utilities in lieu of actual completion of the utility work prior to acceptance of the final plat, single-family dwelling construction may begin without hydrants and water mains being ready for service. Construction sites shall be limited so as not to cause an undue fire hazard, with the Fire Department being notified prior to the beginning of each construction. No dwelling shall be occupied until all fire protection requirements have been met and are ready for service. For those new subdivisions where water mains are not available, the Fire Department may approve alternative fire protection measures, which may include but are not limited to draft points, proper road construction to allow for tanker operations, water fill points and the like.
(d) Hydrants shall be installed at the expense of the owner or developer of the development served by the hydrant, including, but not limited the expense of:
1. Extension of town-owned water lines in order to provide service for the new development as required by this policy;
2. Addition of fire hydrants to existing water lines;
3. Private fire lines; and
4. Upgrading of existing lines to provide the necessary water flow capacity for the building or project.
(2) In the case of building additions, renovations, changes of use and the like, the existing water system may be deemed adequate for the existing building if there are hydrants with flow certified as adequate by the Fire Department. If changes to the building require additional water flow requirements to meet Fire Code requirements, the owner or developer shall provide and bear the expense of such additional capacity.
(C) Existing development. The following guidelines shall apply to existing industrial, commercial and multi-family residential buildings and subdivisions.
(1) The Fire Department shall determine areas in public rights of way that are deficient in fire hydrant protection. A plan of correction shall be developed in accordance with monies available.
(2) Where existing development poses a danger to life and property due to fire hydrant deficiencies existing on private property, the Fire Department may require the deficiency to be corrected in such fashion and time as it may direct. Any associated expense shall be borne by the owner of the development.
(D) Required fire flow.
(1) The water flow available for fire protection (“fire flow”) required to provide adequate fire protection in the town will be determined in accordance with Chapter 50 of this code. The required fire flow must assure sufficient water flow for fire protection while also maintaining normal usage for other water users in the area without interruption or damage to other users' systems.
(2) Fire flow requirements may be increased by the Fire Department to account for any condition that may warrant an increase in fire flow to provide adequate fire protection, including but not limited to factors such as the siting of adjacent buildings, storage of hazardous materials, occupancy classification, etc.
(3) Four-hour fire separation walls may be considered as dividing a building into separate fire areas for the purpose of determining fire flow. For purposes of this section, a “fire area” is the total floor area in square feet for all floor levels within the exterior walls or under the horizontal projection of the roof of a building.
(4) The minimum fire-flow requirements for one- and two-family dwellings shall be 1,000 GPM, except that this requirement may be reduced by 50% if the building is equipped with an approved sprinkler system.
(5) The minimum fire flow requirement for buildings other than one- or two-family dwellings may be reduced by 50% if the building is equipped with an approved sprinkler system. However, the flow requirement shall not be reduced below the requirements of the sprinkler system as determined per NFPA 13.
(6) Hydrants installed to meet the provisions of the fire flow requirements shall be calculated at providing 1,500 GPM each. If the required fire flow does not exceed the hydrant flow calculation by 500 GPM or more, then an additional hydrant shall not be required.
(7) A hydrant is required within 100 feet of each connection to an approved sprinkler system requiring Fire Department hose connection.
(8) Additional hydrants may be required as necessary for adequate fire protection of a building due to accessibility limitations or other circumstances.
(E) Fire hydrant installation. The following guidelines shall apply to the installations of all new hydrants and replacements of existing hydrants.
(1) Hydrants shall be installed in accordance with Chapter 50 of this code.
(2) Upon completion of installation, each hydrant shall be flushed of all sediment or debris that may hinder its operation. The caps will then be greased and the hydrant set ready for service. The Fire Department will then be notified of the completion of the installation and that the hydrant is in service and ready for an inspection.
(3) All completed hydrant installations must be inspected by the Fire Department for compliance with all applicable requirements.
(4) All hydrants shall be painted to match the existing hydrants in the town. Unless otherwise specified, this color shall be Top #7216 white reflective or equivalent and an oil-based red paint for barrel and caps.
(F) Hydrant spacing.
(1) Hydrants shall be located as close as possible to street intersections or areas of direct vehicular access. Hydrant spacing may not exceed 500 feet, and commercial and multi-family developments may require additional hydrants to compensate for long hose lays and/or greater water demand.
(2) Where possible, hydrants shall be located no closer than 50 feet from a building, except that if the probable collapse zone of a building exceeds 50 feet, then hydrants shall be located out of this zone when possible.
(3) Hydrants should be located close to street access so as to facilitate easy hook-up.
(4) Hydrants located in areas designated for parking shall be afforded some type of protection from collision of vehicular traffic. Where a curb protects the hydrant from normal parking and is marked for no parking, no other type of protection is needed.
(5) Where a hydrant is located on a street with side-street parking, at least one parking space shall be marked at the hydrant to provide for no parking. In shopping centers and similar parking areas, at least one parking space in front of or behind the hydrant (whichever provides access), shall be designated as no-parking and for Fire Department access only. The area around the hydrant shall be marked in yellow and designated in letters “No Parking.”
(6) A clear space of three feet shall be maintained around the circumference of fire hydrants, except as otherwise approved by the Fire Department. Unobstructed access to hire hydrants must be maintained at all times.
(G) Water supply lines for hydrants. Installation of piping for supply of water to a hydrant or protection system shall be in accordance with Chapter 50 of this code.
(1) Hydrants installed on existing water lines will be tested by the Fire Department to ensure that the existing line can supply an adequate flow of water as needed per I.S.O. fire flow requirements.
(2) It shall be the responsibility of the developer, property owner or person in charge of the development project to submit plans of construction of the water lines or hydrant location and spacing to the Fire Department and Public Works Department for approval prior to installation. All new supply lines shall be inspected prior to being covered to ensure compliance with the submitted plans.
(3) Once the system is completed, a final inspection will be conducted. This inspection will also include a flow test to ensure proper fire flow adequacy.
(Ord. passed 9-19-2019) Penalty, see § 92.99