Dry Hydrants
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Dry
Hydrants
The success of a fire suppression operations hinge on having a readily available water source. In most rural areas of the state there is not a pressurized fire hydrant system. In many cases this requires water to be shuttled by tanker from the closest available source usually from a town pressurized system and it can be difficult for firefighters to maintain an uninterrupted water source at the scene.
A dry hydrant is analogous to a standpipe. A dry hydrant is usually an unpressurized, permanently installed pipe that has one end below the water level of a lake or pond. This end usually has a strainer to prevent debris from entering the pipe. The other end is above ground and has a hard sleeve connector. When needed, a pumper fire engine will pump from the lake or pond by drafting water. This is done by vacuuming the air out of the dry hydrant, hard sleeve, and the fire engine pump with a primer. Because lower pressure now exists at the pump intake, atmospheric pressure on the water and the weight of the water forces water into part of the dry hydrant above water, into the hard sleeve, and finally into the pump. This water can then be pumped by the engine’s centrifugal pump.
The District designs and installs dry hydrants at the request of any fire district or municipality. Dry hydrants offer easy access to water from a roadway, shorten the distance of water transportation, and distribute water in a short amount of time. They protect public health and safety.