Fire Flow Testing

The most important factor in any fire protection system is the quantity of water and the effective water pressure available to run the system. There must be proper fire sprinkler water supply to put out fires. Hydrant flow tests are conducted to measure real world pressure and flow in the water system.

Hydrant flow tests are required for fire sprinkler design and for water modeling purposes. They are generally known as fire flow tests as the highest demands on the system occur when fighting a fire. These tests are crucial to the correct design of fire sprinkler systems and piping needed for commercial, industrial, and residential buildings.

A fire flow test provides pressure and flow data at specific fire hydrants within the water distribution system. The data can be used to assess the pressure and flow available for fire protection, sprinkler system design, mainline design, and proper sizing of domestic and/or fire service lines.

A major component to designing the perfect system is figuring out the current water pressure from the street. To do this, we perform a flow test by installing temporary gauges to a portion of the closest hydrants and safely opening them to allow water to flow through the gauges. After acquiring the necessary readings, all while being surveyed by a representative from the local fire/water authority, our engineers provide a detailed report of our test results which help us understand the demand limitations from the city connection.

Prior to discharging any potable water to the storm drain system, we implement our Best Management Practices (BMPs):

• Dechlorination (Remove Chlorine)
• Remove any debris for a flow path that is clear and unobstructed
• Manage flow to the storm drains to minimize impact on the surrounding environment
• The point of entry into the storm drain is clean and free of debris
• Provide Sediment Control at the point of entry. (Minimize sediment from entering the storm drain)

Fire Flow Testing

Complete testing of existing public and private water systems including:

• Fire hydrant flow testing
• Fire pump testing
• Static (non-flowing) pressure testing
• Residual (flowing) pressure

Hydraulic Analysis

Complete hydraulic analysis services including:

• Underground fire water systems design
• Hydraulic modeling
• Hydraulic calculations