Fire Hydrants

Of all the elements in a modern municipal water system, the most visible and prevalent are hydrants. Firefighting methods using water to extinguish fires have evolved from early methods of drawing water from rivers using hand pumps and bucket brigades, to horse-drawn pumpers, to present-day hydrants. The type of hydrants you see in the Roslyn Water District are the so-called dry barrel type, which prevent freezing by keeping water below ground level until needed. These hydrants are surface-mounted valve structures connected directly to the buried water mains of the distribution system with nozzles permitting hose connections to pressurized water for firefighters. You may occasionally notice our personnel “exercising” the hydrants by flushing them to measure flow and pressure.

Often, the most crucial factor in maintaining adequate pressure in a water system is the height of water in storage tanks. Tanks are either situated at ground level or as elevated structures. The Roslyn Water District has no elevated storage tanks due to the District’s topography, making it necessary to utilize booster pumps in higher-elevation areas where adequate pressure is not achievable through gravity alone. The District’s (3) three storage tanks, which hold a total of (6) six million gallons of water, are filled from wells throughout the District that pump water into the tanks when needed. The stored water in these tanks, coupled with booster pumping systems that must remain operational 24/7/365, is what enables residents and businesses to have sufficient pressure in their homes or businesses. Sufficient pressure is largely what makes indoor plumbing possible.

Adequate pressure is also essential for firefighting. If the water level in our tanks drops too low, the water suppliers may be required to notify customers of a boil water alert. That is primarily because of a potential threat to public health from contaminants, such as bacteria, entering the water system. This water emergency scenario arises from a lack of water pressure, which can allow water to siphon backward. This is also referred to as a back flow condition.

While boiling water would be an inconvenience, the loss of adequate pressure can jeopardize firefighters’ ability to successfully respond to an emergency. We are bound by an immutable fact of physics—the pressure in the system drops 1 pound per square inch for every loss, which is equal to 2.31 feet of water elevation stored in the tanks. All public water systems must maintain a minimum water pressure of 20 psi throughout the system. This is another reason why the Roslyn Water District has implemented designated times slots for different portions of the community to irrigate their lawns using automatic sprinkler systems. If everyone irrigated at the same time, as was the case not long ago, water pressure in the system would drop precipitously, leaving the community vulnerable to reduced water flow. This can potentially result in property damage and/or loss of life due to inadequate pressure for firefighting. We believe that understanding the reasons behind water conservation and watering restrictions is essential to achieving community cooperation.

Fire hydrants are the property of the Roslyn Water District. It is our responsibility to install and maintain them. The only people authorized to operate hydrants are Roslyn Water District personnel and our resolute team of local firefighters. Fire hydrant placement is regulated by Nassau County, which requires placement of no more than 300 feet apart in commercial areas and no more than 500 feet apart in residential areas. In order for a developer of a new project within the Roslyn Water District’s service territory to obtain a required certificate of water availability, the developer must demonstrate that their plans include a sufficient amount of water for occupancy as well as fire flow, as determined by our engineers and the Nassau County Fire Marshal.

We continue to request that residents and businesses keep the area around hydrants on their property clear so that, in the case of a fire, firefighters can access the hydrants without obstruction. The Fire Prevention Ordinance of Nassau County states that fire hydrants must be visible and accessible and there must be at least three feet of clearance around them. Hydrants should never be obstructed by landscaping or other structures.

The safety of the residents we serve is always essential, and the fire hydrants throughout our community are a true beacon of our mission.