PHILADELPHIA FIRE DEPARTMENT HIGH PRESSURE FIRE HYDRANT SYSTEM PFD TRAINING MANUAL SUPPLEMENT ENGINE PRACTICES SUPPLEMENT 101 PAGE 1 SUPPLEMENT 101 101. HIGH PRESSURE FIRE HYDRANT SYSTEM The High Pressure fire hydrant system was constructed approximately one hundred years ago. The purpose of the system is to supply large volumes of water under high pressure from hydrants directly to the scene of a fire without the use of pumpers. The system utilizes two independent pumping stations that supply more than 1,000 hydrants through approximately 64 miles of supply piping. The system can be divided into two districts by closing two sectional stops. The high pressure system is independent of the domestic low pressure fire hydrant system. The two systems should never be interconnected. A connection could result in the contamination of the city's potable water supply. Pumpers should not be directly connected to a high pressure fire hydrant 1 ( See O.P. 16, Addendum 1, guidelines for high pressure hydrant to pumper operation.) NEVER CONNECT THE DOMESTIC AND HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEMS HIGH PRESSURE PUMPING STATION #1 (DELAWARE AVE. & RACE STREET) Pumping station # 1 is equipped with six (6) 2,500 gallon per minute Worthington electric centrifugal pumps capable of pumping a total of 15,000 gallons of water per minute into the system. This station is an unmanned back-up station and is put in operation only upon request from the incident commander when sufficient pressure or water is unavailable from pumping station # 2. HIGH PRESSURE PUMPING STATION # 2 (7TH STREET & LEHIGH AVENUE) Pumping station # 2 is equipped with six (6) 2,000 gallon per minute Worthington electric centrifugal pumps capable of pumping a total of 12,000 gallons of water per minute. Pumping station #2 is now also unmanned and is the primary pumping station. Both stations are controlled remotely from the Water Department s Load Control Center. The two distribution systems are connected by two OPEN 20" valves and are operated as one unit. One of the valves is located at New Market and Poplar Streets, the other is at Broad and Spring Garden Streets. The two high pressure pumping stations can be separated by CLOSING the valves at BOTH of the locations. Each of these valves has a 4" bypass pipe. A pressure of 35 pounds per square inch (PSI) is maintained on the Delaware Avenue and Race Street system from the water level in the reservoir at 7th and Somerset Streets due to the elevation of the reservoir. The reservoir has a capacity of 4,692,000 gallons of water. The water used at fires and also system leakage is automatically replaced from a 30" filtered water supply main running along Lehigh Avenue. 1 Under special circumstances, a connection is permitted with the use of a gate valve. REV. 4/01/99 101-1
SUPPLEMENT 101 PAGE 2 PFD TRAINING MANUAL SUPPLEMENT Figure 101-1 Map of High Pressure System BULKHEAD CONNECTION SECONDARY OR EMERGENCY METHOD TO SUPPLY THE HIGH PRESSURE FIRE HYDRANT SYSTEM. Should these pumps become unserviceable, there is a bulkhead connection at the foot of Race Street and the Delaware River. The connection is equipped with (8) eight, 3½" male intake fittings, to which fireboats or pumpers can connect and augment the water supply in the high pressure water mains. Adapters for these connections are carried on the Marine Units. Figure 101-2 Bulkhead Connection 101_RFH.DOC 101-2 REV. 4/01/99
PFD TRAINING MANUAL SUPPLEMENT SUPPLEMENT 101 PAGE 3 THE STREET VALVE Whenever the bulkhead connection is to be utilized for service or training, a line valve (street valve) is to be opened before and closed after each service. The street valve (20 ft. in front of the bulkhead connection) will be kept in the CLOSED position when the connection is not being used. The street valve key is onboard the Marine Units. The drain valve on the bottom of the bulkhead connection will be closed before opening the street valve. To OPEN the street valve turn it clockwise 44 turns. When the operation is to be terminated, the street valve is to be shut down first, 44 turns counterclockwise. The drain valve on the bottom of the connection will be opened before disconnecting the lines. The drain valve will be left FULLY OPEN. HIGH PRESSURE FIRE HYDRANT High pressure fire hydrants are RED in color and are fitted with three (3) stems. Figure 101-3 Bulkhead Connection (Diagram) Figure 101-4 Street Valve Cover The center stem controls a compression type valve that admits water from the main into the barrel of the hydrant. The two outer stems control the side outlet gates. Water for this type of hydrant is supplied via the high pressure pumping stations in mains ranging from 8 inches to 20 inches. A static pressure of 35 to 43 PSI is maintained on the system. High pressure hydrants are Figure 101-5 High Pressure Hydrant fitted with (2) 4" male threaded side outlets. These hydrants are capable of supplying more than 1,000 gallons per minute. PRACTICAL TEST OF USABLE FLOWS In late 1993, limited practical tests were conducted on the high pressure fire hydrant system to determine the feasibility of pipeline companies connecting large diameter hose line (LDH) directly from high pressure hydrants. The results of the tests demonstrated the practicality of using LDH directly from high pressure hydrants. REV. 4/01/99 101-3
SUPPLEMENT 101 PAGE 4 PFD TRAINING MANUAL SUPPLEMENT LDH was connected to both sides of the hydrant, stretched 200 and connected to two manifolds. During the tests, deluge guns were added to the manifolds via dual 100 stretches of 3 hose line, until usable streams were no longer produced, with four guns being the average when using smaller tips. The tests were repeated for different system pressures and different tip sizes. In most cases, acceptable streams were produced. PRESSURIZATION OF THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM 1. If the activation of the high pressure system is required on the 1st alarm, it must be requested by the incident commander. The Water Department will then pressurize the system to 100 PSI. 2. Activation of the high pressure system is automatic on the 2nd alarm for fires occurring within the high pressure district. The system will initially be pressurized to 100 PSI. 3. Once activated, it will take approximately 10 minutes for the 64 miles of high pressure water main system to be fully charged. The incident commander should wait at least 10 minutes for the system to become fully charged before requesting an increase in pressure. 4. Increases in pressure will be applied by load control in increments of 10 PSI. 5. 100 PSI at the pumping station at 7th Street and Lehigh Avenue will result in 140 PSI in center city because of gravity. 6. The maximum normal pressure at pumping station #2 is 140 PSI. However, the Water Department has the capacity to deliver more than 140 PSI if requested by the incident commander. 7. A request for more than 140 PSI entails shutting-down a pressure relief valve in center city which is set at 180 PSI. A shut-down of this valve will allow greater pressure on the system. 8. Pressures higher than 140 PSI at the pumping station may result in a water main break in the high pressure system. The Water Department is willing to deliver pressures greater than 140 PSI in extreme emergencies when requested by the incident commander. 9. If the fire is on the outside perimeter of the high pressure district, the Fire Communications Center (FCC) will contact the incident commander to determine if the high pressure system should be activated. HIGH PRESSURE HYDRANT OUT-OF-SERVICE Lock nuts are utilized to denote that a particular hydrant or side outlet is unserviceable. A lock nut on the center stem denotes that the hydrant is out-of-service. If the lock nut is found on either side stem, it denotes that only that discharge gate is out of service. Whenever a high pressure hydrant is placed out-of-service or returned to service, it is announced over the P. A. System. These announcements are to be brought to the officer's attention and a running record is to be placed in the Status of Hydrant Report that is kept in the rear of the watch desk log book. 101-4 101_RFH.DOC REV. 4/01/99
PFD TRAINING MANUAL SUPPLEMENT SUPPLEMENT 101 PAGE 5 TOOLS NECESSARY TO PLACE A HIGH PRESSURE HYDRANT IN SERVICE FIRE HYDRANT WRENCH Any of the wrenches pictured below will operate a high pressure fire hydrant. STANDARD ENGINE COMPANY Hydrant wrench, 3½ gate valve, 3-way, two high pressure hydrant reducers (4" female x 3½" male), two 3½" all-purpose spanners and one high pressure fire hydrant template. PIPELINE COMPANY In addition to the above equipment, with the exception of the 3-way, a pipeline company requires an adapter (4 female Phila. thread to 5 Storz sexless), a 5 gate valve w/storz fittings, 5 hoseline, a manifold and two LDH spanners. HIGH PRESSURE FIRE HYDRANT TEMPLATE The high pressure hydrant template shows the number of half turns necessary to fully open the valves on a high pressure hydrant and the direction in which the valves must be turned to open. The template is placed on the high pressure hydrant and left there while the hydrant is in service. Figure 101-7 Hydrant Wrenches HIGH PRESSURE HYDRANT REDUCER A high pressure fire hydrant reducer is a reducing fitting that allows 3½" (NST) equipment to be connected to an outlet that is 4" Philadelphia thread, such as high pressure or domestic low pressure fire hydrants. The fitting consists of a 4" Philadelphia threaded female side and a 3½" NST male side. Figure 101-6 High Pressure Template The template acts as a guide for the person operating the hydrant so that there will be no mistake in turning the stem in the wrong direction and causing damage to the side outlet valve stem or replaceable nut. Figure 101-8 High Pressure Hydrant Reducer REV. 4/01/99 101-5
SUPPLEMENT 101 PAGE 6 PFD TRAINING MANUAL SUPPLEMENT PLACING A HIGH PRESSURE HYDRANT IN SERVICE IF IT WERE YOUR DUTY TO PLACE A HIGH PRESSURE HYDRANT IN SERVICE Place the template over the hydrant nuts, place the hydrant wrench on the center stem, which controls the flow of the water from the main. Now pull with the left hand to make sure the valve is CLOSED. Remove both side outlet caps, check that the side outlets are closed, open the side discharge valves all the way. Thirty-five (35) half-turns are required to open the side outlets. Visually inspect the outlets to insure that they are fully open. STANDARD ENGINE COMPANY The hydrant can then be placed in service in the following manner (Fig.101-9): Figure 101-9 HP Hydrant In Service (Standard Engine Company) 101_RFH.DOC 101-6 REV. 4/01/99
PFD TRAINING MANUAL SUPPLEMENT SUPPLEMENT 101 PAGE 7 1. Place a high pressure hydrant reducer on each side outlet. 2. Place a 3-way on the outlet nearest the fire, then place one 3½" gate valve on the outlet facing away from the fire. 3. When the water is ordered, open the center stem all the way, thirty-nine (39) half-turns clockwise. This will service both sides of the hydrant. Water supply will then be controlled by members operating the 3-way and the 3½" gate valve. 4. To shut down a high pressure hydrant, close the center stem, bleed appliances then remove the 3-way, the 3½" gate valve and hydrant reducers. Close the side outlets thirty-five (35) half-turns, counter clockwise. Replace the outlet caps. 5. When a high pressure fire hydrant is placed in service, the following information will be given to the member in charge of the company: A. The location of the hydrant. B. Which numbered outlets on the 3-way are being used and is the 3½" gate valve being used by the company. PIPELINE COMPANIES The hydrant can be placed in service in the following manner (Fig.101-10): 1. On the side of the hydrant going toward the fire - place a Storz hydrant adapter (4" female, Phila. thread x Storz 5" sexless fitting), attach to that a 5" gate. Additional 5" line will then be attached and will most likely terminate in a 5" manifold. 2. On the opposite side of the hydrant, place a high pressure hydrant reducer and then attach a 3½" gate valve. As an option, if additional hardware of the same type as mentioned in step one is available, it may be used also on this side of the hydrant. 3. When the water is ordered, open the center stem all the way, thirty-nine (39) half-turns clockwise. This will service both sides of the hydrant. Water supply will then be controlled by members operating the 5" gate valve and the 3½" gate valve. 4. To shut down a high pressure hydrant, close the center stem, bleed appliances, then remove the Storz hydrant adapter, the 3½" gate valve and the hydrant reducer. Close the side outlets thirty-five (35) halfturns, counter clockwise. Replace the outlet caps. 5. When a high pressure fire hydrant is placed in service, the following information will be given to the member in charge of the company: A. Location of the hydrant. B. The location of the manifold, which numbered outlets are being used on the manifold and is the 3½" gate valve being used by the company. Members assigned to operate high pressure fire hydrants should keep in mind some of the possible causes for damaging the valve stems and replaceable nuts: 1. Attempting to turn the stem in the wrong direction when the valve is in the closed position. REV. 4/01/99 101-7
SUPPLEMENT 101 PAGE 8 PFD TRAINING MANUAL SUPPLEMENT Figure 101-10 HP Hydrant In Service (Pipeline Company) 2. Forgetting to count the number of halfturns when opening and closing the valves. NOTE: It is important that the member assigned to operate the hydrant remain calm and think before acting. Companies outside the high pressure district must continually review the operation of the high pressure hydrant, so that they will be familiar with the operation when responding on alarms of fire in the high pressure districts. DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF DEBRIS IN THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ONLY SMOOTH BORE TIPS BE USED. 101-8 101_RFH.DOC REV. 4/01/99