TilFriday: Fire Hydrants Are Color Coded.

Guess what? Today I learned that fire hydrants are actually color coded. Yep, nobody told me.

Well, growing up in a third-world metropolis, where there is so much to be desired in terms of urban planning and public safety, it is really rare for me to see a fire hydrant. And in those rare moments that I see one, I swear, they are all yellow.

Like this:

_{A fire hydrant in BGC, Taguig, Metro Manila, Hans Olav Lien, Wikipedia}

I am really really surprised that these water outlets come in different colors, and there's a technical yet cool reason behind it. So for this issue of #TilFriday, let's learn about fire hydrants and the science behind their different colors.

First, a fire hydrant, also called a fireplug, fire pump, johnny pump, or simply pump, is a connection point by which firefighters can tap into a water supply. It is a component of active fire protection.

To some, fire hydrants are minor annoyance as they are placed in seemingly random and unexpected places but their existence is actually carefully and strategically planned. They are put there to provide strong and adequate water supply for firemen in case of fires. Firefighters usually attached their hose to the fire hydrant and open its valve, giving them a powerful flow of water that could reach 350 kPa. Attaching the hose to the fire engines equipped with pumps can boost the water pressure and even split it to multiple streams.

In an event of a fire, firefighters actually estimate and compute the size of fire, the amount of water supply and pressure to subdue it, and even the right size of hose to use to maximize available resources. It is also very important for firefighters to know quickly the capacity of a fire hydrant during fires.

And because fire hydrants are connected to different types of water sources and the supply they provide can vary, a standard has to be made to let firefighters easily know how much water can a specific hydrant supply. In the US, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommended a set standard of color-coding to fire departments and water districts for fire hydrants.

_{fire hydrants in different colors, Mattes via Wikimedia Commons}

The NFPA 291 recommends that fire hydrants using public water supply systems should be painted chrome yellow. Their tops and caps should be painted different colors to indicate the available GPM (gallons per minute). Hydrants with very good flow or have 1500 GPM or more are painted BLUE. Those with 1000 - 1499 GPM should be GREEN and are considered good for residential areas. Hydrants that have marginally adequate flow or those with 500-999 GPM are painted ORANGE while those with 500 GPM below are painted RED and considered inadequate.

Other colors are also used to determine the hydrants source of water. VIOLET is recommended for hydrants accessing non-potable water such as pond or lake. Those that are acessing private water supplies are to be painted RED. If the fire hydrant is ineoperable, it should be painted BLACK.

These colors vary depending on place or countries. In Metro Manila, Manila Water Co. owned 3099 fire hydrants but I have not seen one painted with other colors except yellow.

Or I'm not just really looking around.

Previously on #TilFriday:
The Largest Organism On Earth
The Golden Blood
Taking Photos Of The Eiffel Tower At Night Is Illegal

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_{Sources: | Wikipedia | BusinessInsider | Firehydrant.org | TodayIFoundOut|}

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