Town of Smithfield, RI Water Supply for Fire Protection

This Part 6 shall apply to all new plats, subdivisions, complexes, buildings and structures, for which a building permit is issued on or after August 1, 1996, excluding one- and two-family houses within lots existing as of August 1, 1996, or within subdivisions for which at least preliminary, approval has been granted by the Planning Board as of August 1, 1996.

§ 198-163 Adequate water supply required.

Every building to which this Part 6 applies shall be provided with an adequate water supply defined as needed fire flow in gallons per minute (GPM) for fire fighting. Needed fire flow is generally defined as:

[Amended 8-12-2003]

(1)

The needed fire flow for all buildings to which this Part 6 applies, which is equal to the flow computed using the procedure outlined in the Insurance Services Office (ISO), Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (1980) Needed Fire Flow Formula.

(2)

The needed fire flow shall meet the minimum requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 24, Standard on the Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances (1995 Edition) or NFPA 1142, as amended, Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire-Fighting (1993 Edition), where no recognized water distribution exists.

(3)

Any plat, subdivision or complex to which this Part 6 applies using wells for domestic water with no plans for a water system that includes fire hydrants for fire protection shall meet the minimum water supply provisions of NFPA Standard 1142, as amended.

The proposed water supply for fire protection for any construction governed by this Part 6 shall be approved by the Fire Chief before a building permit is issued for any building or structure, including the placing of combustible or flammable supplies or materials on site. Prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the Building Official shall require signed confirmation from the applicable water district that the new water system has been installed in accordance with this Part 6 and the approved construction drawings.

All references to fire hydrants shall include all public and private fire hydrants and their systems. Any reference to authority having jurisdiction in this code or a referenced code or standard shall mean the Smithfield Fire Chief.

When a water main is installed for fire protection and domestic use, the main size shall be adequate to meet combined domestic and fire flow requirements.

The needed fire flow shall be available at all times, and shall be available a minimum of one hour for flows of 1,500 gpm or less at a minimum of 20 psi residual, or for two hours for flows of greater than 1,500 gpm at a minimum of 20 psi residual (NFPA) 1141, Standard for Fire Protection in Planned Building Groups (1990 Edition).

All water supply structures such as cisterns shall be transferred to the Town of Smithfield as a condition of the approval of the subdivision. The Planning Board shall require maintenance guarantees for such structures in accordance with the Subdivision Regulations[1] and shall require that all warranties for such structures be assigned to the Town of Smithfield.

[Added 8-12-2003]

[1]

Editor's Note: See Ch. 316, Subdivision of Land.

§ 198-164 Needed fire flow requirements.

The needed fire flow for one- and two-family dwellings at 20 psi not exceeding two stories in height is determined as follows:

Distance Between Buildings (in feet)	Needed Fire Flow (gallons per minute)
Over 100	500
31 to 100	750
11 to 30	1,000
10 or less	1,500

The needed fire flow for all other buildings shall be determined on an individual building basis by the Fire Chief or his designee. The needed fire flow for an individual building shall be computed from the ISO formula:

NFF = (C)(O) [1 + (x + P)]
NFF = Needed fire flow C = Construction factor:
	* *	Considers the area of the subject building Considers the construction class (wood, masonry, fire resistant, etc.)
O = Occupancy factor:
	*	Considers the combustibility of the materials in the subject building.
x = Exposure factor:
	*	Considers the fire spread between the subject building and the adjacent buildings (length and height of building, and openings in exposed walls)
P = Communications factor:
	*	Considers the protection provided in the communicating walls, the construction of the walls, and the length of the walls.

One- and two-family dwellings and all other buildings completely protected by an approved and operational fixed suppression system may reduce the required needed fire flow by up to 50%. The actual reduction, if any, shall be approved by the Fire Chief.

§ 198-165 Water mains.

All water main extensions approved after August 1, 1996, shall be a minimum of eight-inch ID.

§ 198-166 Fire hydrants.

All private and public yard hydrant systems shall conform to standards set by the Fire Chief and applicable ISO, NFPA, and AWWA standards, whichever shall provide the greatest level of fire protection.

[Amended 8-12-2003]

Fire hydrants shall be properly installed in accordance with American Water Works Association (AWWA) M17, Installation, Field Testing, and Maintenance of Fire Hydrants (Third Edition).

Yard hydrants shall be properly installed in accordance with NFPA 24, Standard on Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances (1995 Edition).

All existing fire hydrants shall be maintained by the hydrant owner to the standards set in AWWA M17.

Hydrant owners shall immediately notify the Fire Department of any hydrant that is out of service, and shall subsequently notify the Fire Department when the hydrant is placed back in service.

Hydrants shall be maintained by the hydrant owner and be usable at all times.

Hydrants and water supplies provided in planned building groups shall comply with NFPA 1141.

§ 198-167 Tampering with fire equipment.

No person shall remove, tamper with, or otherwise disturb, use, or operate any fire hydrant or fire appliance required to be installed or maintained under the provisions of this Part 6 except for the purpose of extinguishing fire, training purposes, recharging, or making necessary repairs, or when permitted by the hydrant owner. When a fire appliance is removed as herein permitted, it shall be replaced or reinstalled as the purpose for which it was removed has been accomplished.

§ 198-168 Location.

Location and spacing of all public fire hydrants and yard hydrants shall be determined by the ISO Needed Fire Flow demand based on the type, size, occupancy, and exposure of structures, and shall be approved by the Fire Chief prior to installation.

The allowance for each fire hydrant at 20 psi residual used to deliver the calculated needed fire flow as determined by NFPA 1231 is as follows:

(1)

Allow up to 1,000 gpm for each hydrant within 300 feet of the building.

(2)

Allow up to 670 gpm for each hydrant within 301 feet to 600 feet of the building.

(3)

Allow up to 250 gpm for each hydrant within 601 to 1,000 feet of the building.

(4)

Allow no needed fire flow (0 gpm) for each hydrant more than 1,000 feet from the building.

All fire hydrants shall be clear of all obstructions eight feet from the hydrant in all directions.

All Fire Department connections (to sprinkler and standpipe systems) shall be within 50 feet of a municipal fire hydrant capable of providing the water flow demand of the fire protection systems.

In the one- and two-family detached residential areas, hydrants shall be installed along the water main so that all units are within 300 feet (maximum spacing of 600 feet) of a hydrant. If all of the dwellings, to be served by a hydrant, are equipped with an approved complete residential fixed suppression system, hydrants may be installed along the water main, so that all units are within 500 feet (maximum spacing of 1,000 feet) of a hydrant.

In all other cases, the fire hydrants shall be placed so that the total allowance for the hydrants within 1,000 feet of the building is at least equal to the needed fire flow calculated. In no case shall the spacing between hydrants exceed 500 feet.

§ 198-169 Testing.

New hydrants shall be fire flow tested by the hydrant owner in accordance with NFPA 291, Standard on Fire Flow Testing and Marking of Hydrants (1995 Edition) and AWWA M17 prior to being placed in service for Fire Department use. Documentation of the results of the flow testing shall be copied to the Smithfield Fire Department before the fire hydrant can be accepted and used.

Existing hydrants that have been out of service shall be tested in conformance with NFPA 291 and AWWA M17 by the hydrant owner before being placed back in service for Fire Department use. A copy of the test results shall be forwarded to the Fire Department within 30 days of the testing.