The following article is promulgated in order to regulate the
inspection, testing, maintenance, correction, and repair of fire hydrants
located on private property in the City of Augusta and those fire
hydrants located in the rights-of-way of public highways of the City
of Augusta that the Greater Augusta Utility District does not own.
The purposes of this article are to:
A. Provide standards and requirements for the inspection, testing, maintenance,
correction, and repair of fire hydrants located on private property
of the City of Augusta, as well as fire hydrants located in the rights-of-way
of public highways in the City of Augusta that are not owned by the
Greater Augusta Utility District.
B. Ensure that every private fire hydrant to which the Fire Department
of the City of Augusta or other municipal fire department connects
in the event of a fire or other emergency will function as designed
to produce the water necessary to respond appropriately to the fire
or other emergency.
C. Protect the public health, safety and general welfare of the City
of Augusta.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
EMERGENCY IMPAIRMENT
A condition where a private fire hydrant is out of service
due to an unexpected occurrence, such as frozen or ruptured hydrant
components or an interruption of the water supply to the system.
HYDRANT
A private fire hydrant as defined below.
IMPAIRED HYDRANT
A private fire hydrant which is not operational due to an
emergency impairment or a preplanned impairment.
IMPAIRMENT
A shutdown of a private fire hydrant which renders the hydrant
nonoperational and therefore out of service.
IMPAIRMENT TAG
A tag affixed to a private fire hydrant to indicate that
the hydrant is out of service. The Fire Department may determine the
requirements of an impairment tag and the means and location of its
attachment to a hydrant.
INSPECTION
An examination of a private fire hydrant to verify that it
appears to be in operating condition and is free from physical damage.
MAINTENANCE
Work performed to keep a private fire hydrant operable or
to make repairs.
NFPA STANDARD
Publication 25 of the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA), titled "Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance
of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems," 2002, and any subsequent
amendments or revisions thereto.
OWNER
The person that holds record title to the property upon which
a private fire hydrant is located. For fire hydrants located in the
right-of-way of a public highway in the City of Augusta that are not
owned by the Greater Augusta Utility District, the owner is the person
that owns the fire hydrant itself.
OWNER'S DESIGNEE
Where the owner is not the occupant of the premises upon
which a private fire hydrant is located, the occupant, management
firm, or managing individual designated by the owner through specific
provisions in the lease, written use agreement, or management contract
to assume the responsibility to inspect, test, and maintain, correct
and repair a private fire hydrant located on the owner's property.
PERSON
Any institution, public or private corporation, individual,
partnership, or other entity.
PREPLANNED IMPAIRMENT
A condition where a private fire hydrant is out of service
due to work that has been planned in advance.
PRIVATE FIRE HYDRANT
A valved connection to a water main for the purpose of supplying
water to a fire hose or other fire protection apparatus and that is
not located within the right-of-way of a public highway of the City
of Augusta. A private fire hydrant also includes any fire hydrant
located in a right-of-way of a public highway in the City of Augusta
that is owned by any person other than the Greater Augusta Utility
District.
QUALIFIED
Having knowledge of the installation, construction, operation,
maintenance, correction or repair of a fire hydrant and the hazards
involved.
RECORD
Written documentation of the inspection, testing, maintenance,
correction, or repair of a private fire hydrant.
SHALL
Indicates a mandatory requirement.
TESTING
A procedure of periodic physical and operational checks used
to determine whether a private fire hydrant is capable of being operated
as intended and will perform as intended, e.g. water-flow tests. These
tests follow up on the original tests at intervals specified in this
article.
This section provides the minimum requirements for the routine
inspection, testing, maintenance, correction, and repair of private
fire hydrants. These functions shall be permitted to be carried out
simultaneously.
A. On or before November 1 of each year, the owner or the owner's designee shall inspect, test, maintain and, if necessary, correct and repair each private fire hydrant to ensure proper functioning, with the necessary repair or corrective action taken as shown in Table 1. Records of these actions will be recorded pursuant to §
148-23 of this article. The owner or owner's designee shall also conduct an inspection of a private fire hydrant after each operation of the hydrant.
B. Opening and closing hydrants too fast can have the potential of causing
some major problems as well as stir up discolored water. Designees
acting or testing a hydrant on behalf of the hydrant owner shall register
with the Greater Augusta Utility District. Testing of any private
fire hydrant as outlined in this article requires twenty-four-hour
notification to the Greater Augusta Utility District.
C. When conducting a test of a private fire hydrant, the hydrant shall
be opened fully and water flowed until all foreign material has cleared.
Flow shall be maintained for not less than one minute.
D. Private fire hydrants shall be lubricated annually to ensure that
all stems, caps, plugs, and threads are in proper operating condition.
E. Private fire hydrants shall be kept free of snow, ice, or other materials
and protected against mechanical damage so that free access is ensured.
F. Repairs.
(1) The
owner or the owner's designee shall repair as soon as possible
a private fire hydrant which is impaired or otherwise does not function
as required by this article, the NFPA standard, or the manufacturer's
specifications.
(2) After completing all necessary repairs to a private fire hydrant,
the owner or the owner's designee shall inspect and test the
hydrant as necessary consistent with the standards of this article,
including without limitation Table 1, to ensure that the hydrant is
operational.
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Table 1
Fire Hydrant Inspection, Maintenance and Repair
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Condition
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Remedy
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Hydrant is inaccessible
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Make accessible
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Barrel contains water or ice (presence of either could indicate
a faulty drain, a leaky hydrant valve, or a high groundwater table)
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Repair and drain; for high groundwater, it could be necessary
to plug the drain and pump out the barrel after each use
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Improper drainage from barrel
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Repair drain
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Leaks at outlets or at top of hydrant
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Repair or replace gaskets, packing, or parts as necessary
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Cracks observed in hydrant barrel
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Repair cracks or replace barrel
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Tightness of outlets
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Lubricate if necessary; tighten if necessary
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Worn nozzle threads
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Repair or replace worn hydrant operating nut
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Availability of operating wrench
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Make sure wrench is available
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Cracked or peeled paint; exposed rust; unpainted metal
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Remove rust; paint hydrant as necessary
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