Hydrant colors... Are yours marked properly???

In my area, all of our hydrants are one color.... RED. Now dont get me wrong, I like the look of a classic red hydrant just as much as I like the look of a classic red fire engine but we have been asking the county to paint the tops of our hydrants according to their pressures for years now. I couldnt even tell you what the different colors mean because the only hydrants I've ever tapped were red.

Anyway... is there a national standard for what the colors mean according to pressure? and does your county, area, district, etc. actually go by this and paint the hydrants the right color?

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Acosta on August 16, 2009 at 1:32pm

Just red and white.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Phillip Mullett on August 17, 2009 at 11:16am

This is what our county uses hope this helps
BLUE 1500 GPM or more Very good flows
GREEN 1000-1499 GPM Good for residential areas
ORANGE or Yellow 500-999 GPM Marginally adequate
RED Below 500 GPM Inadequate
Black Dead Plug may-not be hooked to

http://www.firehydrant.org/info/hycolor.html

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ron Ayotte on August 18, 2009 at 10:46pm

My community has silver hydrants with orange caps.... regardless of fire flow.

The Water and Sewer division of the DPW handles testing and flushing.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Melissa Eastwood on August 19, 2009 at 11:32am

In our area we use bands that are placed around the hydrants to indicate the pressure. Our hydrants are all yellow but the bands do help.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by MRagone on August 19, 2009 at 1:58pm

USFA states the following
Light Blue is 1500 gpm or greater
Green is 1000-1499
Orange is 500-999
And the traditional Red is any hydrant less than 500 gpm

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steven on August 19, 2009 at 4:36pm

Come to Fredonia, NY... Black is the hydrant of last resort. If it doesn't work, the DPW puts a bag over it.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Clayton R. Howe on August 19, 2009 at 5:17pm

Much of Southern CA uses Yellow. Few jurisdictions are color coded to flow. We can draft from those Red top hydrants and get at least better than residual pressure. Our rural communities are required to have 5,000+ gallon Tanks, few are high enough on a lot, to provide good head pressure, again DRAFT to fill quicker or attempt to achieve fire flows equivalent to the fire challenge at hand. Reason enough for each Type I Engine Strike Team to bring along Suction hose operating in the back country. Most newer hydrants are of Bronze and cast iron is going away to reduce maintenance and increase available flow. Most below the snowline are wet barrel. But it is funny to see Dry barrel hydrants in the lower elevations and even in Hawaii.
San Francisco FD also has high pressure and salt water systems coded differently. Pretty Cool Huh?