INTRODUCTION TO CATCHMENT WATER SUPPLY FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT USE
Living in a rural area with no continuous water supply causes a concern for fire protection. Whether it be from brush or structure fires, you may decide to supply a water source for the fire department to use from your catchment tanks. The following publications will give you some information on how to go about setting up this catchment tank water source.
The first publication you should read is entitled, Developing Water Supplies For Fire Protection. Directly after that you will find “Fire Department Standpipe from a Catchment System”, which is for informational purposes only. There's a link below for a drawing of a standpipe system from a catchments tank.
CHOOSING A SITE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONNECTION
The standpipe connection should be where the Fire Department pumper would set up to fight the structure fire. The fire department will have to stretch hose to your structure from the pumper in order to fight the fire. The connection should be as close to the structure, that is safe for the fire department to stage their truck.
Is it feasible to set up a catchments standpipe system for your property? Is the site for the fire department pumper connection going to be higher, level with or below your catchments tank?
The only problem would be if the connection is higher. The catchments tank would be below the HFD connection site, so the pumper will have to draft instead of siphon the water from the tank. Realistically, the highest lift an operator would want to overcome is about 10 feet, and the lift limitation becomes greater as the area's elevation increases. More importantly, higher lift requirements will reduce the quantity of water available to the pump; therefore, high lift attempts are counterproductive. Get the pump as close to the source as possible, preferably requiring less than 10 feet of lift.
http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2008/01/drafting-confidence.html
CATCHMENTS’ STANDPIPE SYSTEM SET UP
The piping going into the catchments tank should be at least 1 foot or more from the bottom of the catchments tank. The outside pipe would extend to ground level or below if you desire to bury the pipe. The piping would run along the path you choose. When you get to the fire department standpipe connection location, the fire department connection should be at least 18” to 40” above ground level. A ball valve shut off will go between the piping and fire department hose connection. The shutoff unit department hard suction hose. You can use stone and cement or a poured cement formed to accomplish the securing of the raised connection unit.
WHERE TO PURCHASE MATERIAL
The Fire Department recommends at least schedule 40 PVC pipe of 2½” to 3” diameter. There are two types of schedule 40 PVC pipe, pressure rated and non pressure rated foam core. You will need to decide which type you want to use. In the Kona area, I've found that Diamond Head Sprinklers (329-9339) carries all the material that you would need at a reasonable price as far as the PVC piping and couplings needed for a standpipe system.
D & M Hydraulic Sales & Services, Phone: 327-0101
74-5223 Queen Kaahumanu Hwy, Unit D, Kona, HI.
Has the double male coupling that is required for the fire department to connect to your system. One end of this brass double male is pipe thread to connect to the PVC piping and the other end is NST, fire hose thread, so the fire department can connect to your system.
or
Fire Hose Direct web site. Aluminum double male. Call to order to get USPS shipping price.