(a) General. Where a public water supply is within a reasonable distance of a property or area being built upon, or where a structure is being constructed, added to or remodeled to the extent that a fire flow is required, or where a change in occupancy or use will result in a greater hazard classification requiring an increase in available water for fire protection, the owner or developer shall comply with the applicable requirements of this Fire Prevention Code.
(b) Water Mains. All water mains shall be sized a minimum of eight inches in diameter as well as to meet usage and fire flow demands unless otherwise specified as follows:
(1) Lines may be required to be larger than eight inch if identified in the City's master water or facilities plan. Lines may also be required to be larger if an identified need can be documented based on flow or pressure deficiencies or if the City desires to enter into an oversize agreement.
(2) If a line segment is to be installed that completes a loop, grid, or extends lines of uniform size and no current deficiencies for pressure or flow can be identified, a like diameter pipe size will be installed.
(3) Should it be determined by the Service Department that inadequate cycling of the water would occur, thus resulting in noncomformance with water quality standards and regulations, alternative line sizing and connection configurations will be identified by the City Engineer. The City Engineer shall cooperate with the Fire Official in determining the main size to ensure adequate fire flow demands.
(4) Waterlines in one- and two-family residential subdivisions may be six-inch diameter if interconnected and looped in segments unless a segment of a main functions as a transmission or supply main through the subdivision.
(c) All water distribution systems in a subdivision shall be designed with looping for proper water flow. Dead end lines shall be approved by the City Engineer, after consultation with the Fire Official, only if the developer can show no feasible means to loop the lines.
(d) Adequacy. Where an area or property is being developed or built upon, and such area or property is being served by water mains not meeting the minimum requirements of this standard, the Fire Official may permit connection to such water mains if it is demonstrated that the available water for fire protection from those water mains is adequate to protect the properties being served, except that, in no case shall a water main less than six (6) inches in diameter be considered acceptable.
(e) Fire Hydrants. Fire hydrants shall be installed as designated by the Fire Official based on the following guidelines:
(1) Installed along public and/or private water mains at distances no greater than 400 feet apart, as measured along the main, except in areas of one- and two-family residential buildings. Such distances shall be no greater than 500 feet. All fire hydrants shall be placed on lot lines.
(2) Installed at the end of six-inch lines or greater.
(3) Installed at street corners ten foot from end of radius.
(4) Installed as required for maintenance and operational purposes.
(5) All cul-de-sacs shall have a fire hydrant at the end for fire flow demands.
(6) Fire hydrants shall be located within four hundred (400) feet of all building access points as designated by the Fire Official, and shall be measured along actual fire apparatus routes of travel.
(f) Hydrant Location and Setback. Fire apparatus and equipment shall be provided safe, unconstrained access to all fire hydrants as determined by the Fire Official. No natural or man-made barriers such as walls, fences, posts, curbs, shrubbery or trees shall be installed or maintained so as to impede the use or operation of a fire hydrant. Exact fire hydrant locations shall be as detailed by the Fire Official.
(g) Private Fire Hydrants. All fire hydrants not part of a private yard system, shall meet the Service Department specifications and shall have at least two (2), two and one-half (2-1/2) inch hose nozzles, and one four (4) inch steamer type nozzle. All nozzles shall have threads conforming to the Springfield Fire Division thread specifications. Fire hydrants shall be installed as designated by the Fire Official. Fire hydrant colors shall be designated by the Fire Official.
(h) Option. When fire hydrants are required by the Fire Official, the owner of the property, or his agent, shall have the option of installing a hydrant or hydrants as required by subsection (e) hereof or may install a single barrel hydrant with only the steamer nozzle conforming with the requirements of subsection (g) hereof, subject to the approval of the Fire Official.
(i) Hydrant Height. Fire hydrant height shall be at least twelve (12) inches, but no more than twenty-one (21) inches above the surrounding finished grade of the hydrant. Such measurements shall be made from the bottom of the lowest nozzle on the hydrant barrel. Break type fire hydrants shall have such feature installed as close as practical, or to serve such purpose, to the surrounding finished grade.
(j) Hydrant Protection. In areas subject to vehicular traffic where fire hydrants are located, such hydrants, when deemed necessary by the Fire Official, shall have collision protection installed; the extent and type of such protection shall be acceptable to the Fire Official.
(k) Hydrant Service. A fire hydrant shall not be placed into or removed from service unless such condition is reported to the Fire Official.
(l) Hydrant Damage. Any person who damages, witnesses damage to, or has knowledge of damage to a fire hydrant shall report same to the Fire Official or the Service Department.
(m) Tampering. No person, not duly authorized in writing, shall knowingly move, deface, paint, damage, destroy or otherwise unlawfully tamper with any fire hydrant, valve, plug, or other fixture or facility of the public water supply unless authorized in writing by the Fire Official or Service Department.
(n) Obstructing Prohibited. No person shall obscure from view, obstruct, block or restrict the use or access to any fire hydrant. Such obstruction, blockage or restriction shall be considered a violation of this section.
(o) Fire Suppression Support. In those buildings or structures where automatic fire suppression is provided throughout, the number and location of fire hydrants may be reduced or altered by the Fire Official.
(p) Suppression System Hydrant. A fire hydrant meeting the specifications and installed according to this section and connected to a public water supply, shall be installed at a location designated by the Fire Official that is within seventy-five (75) feet of a suppression system Fire Department connection, but no closer than forty (40) feet to the building or structure, except as modified in subsection (o) hereof.
(q) Fire Suppression Equipment. No person shall damage, obstruct, obscure from view, remove, tamper with, or otherwise disturb any fire hydrant, Fire Department connection, or fire protection system or equipment required to be installed or maintained under the provisions of this Fire Prevention Code or Building Code except for the purpose of extinguishing fire, training or testing purposes, recharging, or making necessary repairs, or when permitted by the Fire Official. Whenever a fire protection system or equipment is removed as herein permitted, it shall be replaced or re-installed as soon as the purpose for which it was removed has been accomplished. Defective and nonapproved fire protection systems or equipment shall be replaced or repaired as ordered by the Fire Official.
(r) All water mains and water services shall have a minimum of 48-inches of cover.
(s) Fire Hydrant Colors. All public, private, and/or yard fire hydrants shall be painted colors as designated by the Fire Official. All caps on all fire hydrants all be painted as designated by the Fire Official to indicate the amount of water flow available from said hydrant.
(t) Fire Hydrant Flows and Flushing.
(1) All public, private, and/or yard fire hydrants shall be flowed and/or flushed to determine the adequacy of water availability and fire flows on a regular basis and as determined by the Fire Official.
(2) Every owner of a privately-owned fire hydrant or of a yard hydrant shall maintain his applicable hydrant(s) in good operating order at all times.
(3) Members of the City's Fire Division or of the City's Service Department may enter onto private property at any time for the purpose of performing flow and/or flushing functions on a private fire hydrant or a yard hydrant.
(4) The City shall not be liable for any damage or harm occurring in connection with performing flow and/or flushing functions on a private and/or yard fire hydrant when the damage or harm is proximately caused by failure of the private and/or yard fire hydrant to be in good operating order.
(Ord. 06-303. Passed 8-8-06; Ord. 19-44. Passed 2-12-19.)