Flow testing

[firebeacon]

Looking for feedback from any fire departments that perform fire hydrant flow tests. I am looking for SOP's and/or reasons for testing.

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[Firehose]

Firebeacon,
During repairs of a water system, it is somtimes necessary to turn off several valves to shut down a particular section for repair. If a certain section was fed by 1 or more larger mains and also a smaller 4" or less, and the smaller main were the only one turned back on, the system would operate at full pressure and the customers on that line may never experence low pressure, however, when the local fire department needed a hydrant in that section, it might only flow 300 to 500 GPM when 1500 to 2000 might have been the norm with all valves open. Periodic testing will indicate a drop in flow and alert you to shut in valves. Also, ISO rates a portion of your water supply score on testing...hence lower insurance rates for regular testing!
GOOD LUCK!

[S. Cook]

We are an all volunteer dept. and just began hydrant testing for this year in the last week. ISO not withstanding, why should we test hydrants?

1. Out of the 100 or so we've tested so far, we have found about 30 that need repair or just don't work.

2. Several people are involved in the testing and, consequently, several people know where the good, marginal and poor hydrants are. The word is then passed along.

3. Good PR contacts. ("Ma'am/sir have you checked your smoke detector? If you need help, we're in the neighborhood and will be happy to test it, change the battery or put one in for you if you don't have one." "Sure your kids can look over the rigs.")

4. We can see where more hydrants may be needed and get work started on getting them in.

As far as SOPs, we don't have one for this. We have a main map and set up on an 'upstream' hydrant on the system/district for pressure then flow test the 'downstream' hydrants at their steamer port. When we run out of radio range (we use tactical portables to stay off the dispatch freq.), we move the pressure hydrant to one that has been flow tested downstream and keep on going.

If you would like more on how to do it and get the most out of hydrant tests I'll be happy to email it to you.

Only 350 more to go...

[FSRIZZIO]

The previous responses pretty much spell it out. One other thing to be aware of, when you do this it does create heavy flows in areas that may have never had it before, so it stirs up mud in the lines and people in the area see it in their sinks and toilets...and they let you know about it. try and stagger the activity to reduce this, you'll get good results and no bad P.R. points.
Good Luck, Frank

[FSRIZZIO]

The previous responses pretty much spell it out. One other thing to be aware of, when you do this it does create heavy flows in areas that may have never had it before, so it stirs up mud in the lines and people in the area see it in their sinks and toilets...and they let you know about it. try and stagger the activity to reduce this, you'll get good results and no bad P.R. points.
Good Luck, Frank

[Firehose]

FSRIZZIO is right about the brown water. If you are flowing an area for the first time in quite a while, try starting your testing close to the source such as the elevated tank and then work outward to the extremes of the system. this will carry the mud with you and should help expel most of it in the testing.
Good Luck!

[721]

And hope that they don't have a load of white shirts in the washer at the time! I have been on the receiving end of a very unhappy lady that had the washing machine full of her husbands white shirts (which wern't very white now).

Some departments (that have around the clock duty crews) do their testing between 1 and 4 in the morning to keep the peace. Some departments, like ours are all volunteer, thus it is usually early evening, or saturday when we have to test.

Try setting a schedule, get the local paper to publish it, and stick to it if at all possible.

We do have to provide hydrant test data for ISO, and not make the people of the district mad. I liked the suggestion of offering to test smoke detectors while in the area.

[Ledbelly]

firebeacon- We do hydrant checks every year, usually in late Sept-Oct. Although we don't actually test the flow with pitot, we do flow and service them. We started doing this when it became apparent, through several, badly needed, frozen hydrants one winter night...that the City water dept wasn't/didn't have time to check them often enough. Problems are noted on a repair order and forwarded to them; although we still find 'no drainers' every year (there are a lot of them) it does seem like more of them are being fixed than before...at least the city knows where to start and we know beforehand which ones we can depend on.
By the way...we also have had problems from irate citizens about brown water, etc. The word from the Water Dept was to let the hydrant flow for at least five minutes and this would solve the problem...how well that works, or how strictly that is adhered to, I can't say. It does make for an interesting time and no shortage of dirty looks when you get one at a busy intersection....