District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority

New hydrant status rings give visual notice of hydrant status

There are more than 9,000 public hydrants in the District. DC Water has provided $26.5 million for the replacement/upgrade of up to 3,000 of the critical public fire hydrants on behalf of the District of Columbia government over a five-year period that began in fiscal year 2006. Through fiscal year 2008, DC Water completed over 2,500 public hydrant replacements and upgrades. An additional $30 million has been earmarked by DC Water for the replacement/upgrade of 4,000 hydrants. Individual property owners are responsible for private hydrants on their property.

Misuse of a public hydrant should be reported to the 24-hour Emergency number 202-612-3400. Misuse includes those tampering with hydrants and illegally hooking up to hydrants.

If a company needs a water source for construction, demolition, dust control or similar purposes, DC Water recommends using a Temporary Water Connection, a water truck, or an on-site water storage tank. If the project manager wishes to use a fire hydrant as a temporary water source, s/he must first obtain a Fire Hydrant Use Permit from DC Water. This allows the applicant to operate a specific fire hydrant on a temporary basis. The water use may be metered and a water fee assessed. More information on obtaining a permit for fire hydrant use can be found here.

Public Protection Classification Summary Report

What can you find in this section?

• Top 10 Reasons Not to Break Open a Hydrant
  Why you shouldn’t open a hydrant to beat the heat – 10 compelling reasons.
• General Hydrant Information
  How do hydrants work? Why do hydrants need maintenance?
• Hydrant Inspection & Maintenance
  DC Water has several initiatives in place to work with FEMS for fire protection throughout the District.
• Status Rings & Flow Rating Bands
  New ring designs for better communication and visual cues, and reflective bands for communicating with firefighters.
• Hydrant Location & Status Information
  Members of the public may access public hydrant status through the Google Earth application.