(A) No shopping center, factory, school or apartment building complex with 2,500 square feet or more floor area shall be approved without necessary water supply distribution and fire hydrants. Fire hydrants shall be so located that no point of exterior building shall be in excess of 300 feet from the fire hydrant. Hydrants shall be approximately 50 feet from building and hydrants shall be so placed as to be accessible to Fire Department (within 15 feet of pavement or hard surface road).
(B) Hydrant spacing depends on required fire flow. A high contents fire loading and combustible construction requires closer spacing as well as larger water mains. Size of undivided areas, exposure and protection by sprinklers is to be considered. A hydrant within 300 feet is recommended for each 500 GPM fire flow. Actual fire flows are calculated from test results to a 20 PSI residual pressure.
(C) A minimum of 1,000 GPM @ 20 PSI residual is required for a typical small modern noncombustible elementary school: 1,500 GPM to 2000 GPM for a larger school.
(D) For a typical eight-unit, two-story frame brick veneer apartment building: 1,500 GPM would be minimum. If larger than 10,000 square feet floor area or less than 50 feet clear space between buildings, larger flows would be needed. In a nine to 20 unit typical frame brick veneer unit 2,000 GPM: over 20 units, in excess of 2,500 GPM.
(E) A small commercial or industrial building with average type fire loading basically unexposed by other properties requires a minimum of 1,500 GPM. Area is a major factor with these type properties and this requirement increases significantly with size unless automatic sprinklers are provided.
(F) The requirements for a factory is difficult to generalize due to the wide range of contents combustibility; minimum 1,500 GPM.
(G) Areas of basements or cellars exceeding 2,500 square feet when used as workshops or for the manufacture, repair, sale or storage of combustible materials (but not including garages) shall be protected throughout with approved automatic fire extinguishing equipment.
(H) The above fire flow figures are based on a residual pressure of 20 PSI and are an area requirement rather than the amount necessary to be flowed from a single hydrant.
(Ord. G-74-567, passed 12-2-1974; Ord. G-98-257, passed 8-20-1998; Ord. G-99-328, passed 6-18-1999)