Ordinance 1568ORDINANCE NO. / -C
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF EDMONDS, WASHINGTON
CREATING A NEW CHAPTER IN THE EDMONDS FIRE
PREVENTION CODE, CHAPTER 10.10, REQUIRING AND
REGULATING THE INSTALLATION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
FIRE HYDRANTS AND WATER MAINS IN THE CITY OF
EDMONDS, PROVIDING THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
AND STANDARDS THEREOF AND PROVIDING PENALTIES.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDMONDS, WASHINGTON
DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 10.10.010 Definitions. For the purpose
of this Chapter certain words and terms used herein are
defined as set forth below. Unless the natural construction
of the word indicates otherwise, all words used in the
present tense include the future tense; all words in the
plural include the singular number; and all words in the
singular number include the plural number.
A. FIRE CHIEF - shall be the Fire Chief of the
City of Edmonds or his authorized agent.
B. FIRE DEPARTMENT - shall mean the Fire Department
of the City of Edmonds and/or any recognized Fire Department
normally responding in the area.
C. CITY ENGINEER - shall mean the City Engineer of
the City of Edmonds.
D. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT - shall mean the Public
Works and/or Water Department of the City of Edmonds.
E. PUBLIC HYDRANT - shall mean a fire hydrant so
situated and maintained on public right-of-way or public
easements to provide water without restriction as to use
by the Fire and Public Works Departments.
F. PRIVATE HYDRANT - shall mean a fire hydrant so
situated and maintained on private property to provide water
with limitations as to use by the Fire and Public Works
Department as set forth in Section 10.10.080.
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G. SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AREA - shall be as set
forth in the Edmonds Zoning Code, Title 12.
H. FLUSH TYPE HYDRANT - shall mean a hydrant instal-
led entirely below grade.
I. FIRE FLOW - shall mean water flow required for
fire protection purposes.
Section 10.10.020 Applicability. All water main and
fire hydrant installations herinafter shall meet the provi-
sions of this Chapter as well as all other applicable plans,
standards & ordinances adopted by the City of Edmonds.
Section 10.10.030 Building permits and plats. Fire
hydrants, water mains and appurtenances shall be installed
as required by this Chapter as a condition of approval of plats,
short plats and subdivisions, unless conditions of undue
hardship warrant a waiver by the Fire Chief and City Engineer
of this provision. No building permits shall be issued for
erection of any building or structure until adequate provision
is made to assure that the provisions of this Chapter will be
met including financial responsibility, Provided, this Section
shall not apply to the reconstruction, repair, rebuilding or
remodeling of a single family dwelling.
Section 10.10.040 Variance. In the event the strict
application of this Chapter creates an unnecessary hardship
the owner, developer of the property or his agent may appeal to
the Board of Appeals created by the Uniform Building Code
adopted by Chapter 11.02 of the Edmonds City Code. In deter-
mining whether or not to grant a variance from the terms of
this Chapter, including consideration of reasonable alternatives,
the Board of Appeals shall be guided by the general intent and
purpose of this Chapter and the following standards and criteria:
A. Special conditions and circumstances exist which
are peculiar to the property or structure such as size, shape,
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topography or location and that strict enforcement of the
provisions of this Chapter would deprive the property owner
of rights commonly enjoyed by other properties similarly
situated.
B. The special conditions and circumstances are not
primarily the result of the actions of the applicant such as
structure design necessitating greater fire protection
especially as it may relate to commercial and multiple resi-
dential property development.
C. Unnecessary hardships and practical difficulties
which make it difficult to carry out the provisions of this
Chapter.
D. Granting of the application, or providing alter-
natives to this Chapter, will not be materially detrimental
to the public health, safety, morals or welfare, or injurious
to the property or improvement in the vicinity of the
applicant's property with particular emphasis on fire pro-
tection.
E. The reasons set forth in the application justify
the granting of the variance or alternate and that the variance
or alternates are the minimum that will make possible the
reasonable development of the property.
Section 10.10.050 Costs. The cost of installation
and/or replacement of water mains as required by this Chapter
shall be as follows:
A. The installation of all main feeder lines, eight
inches to twenty-four inches in diameter, shall be installed
at the City's expense.
B. The replacement of water mains, four inches to
six inches in diameter, if and when required, shall be at
City expense.
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C. The replacement of smaller than four inch
diameter mains shall be accomplished by the property owner
bearing the cost of the materials and the City bearing the
cost of installation. Replacement in kind is not to be
considered as "repair".
D. The installation of water mains to properties not
previously served shall be at the benefited property owner's
or developer's expense.
E. Oversized water mains required for special use
demands shall be installed at the developer's or property
owner's expense.
F. If the water mains installed pursuant to sub-
paragraphs "D" and "E" above provide service or benefits to
properties other than owned by the water main installer, late-
comer agreements may be arranged between the City and the
installer for the construction and subsequent dedication of
the water facilities.
Section 10.10.060 Location.
A. All public fire hydrants shall be installed at
street intersections where possible. Public hydrant spacing
shall be measured along vehicular access routes.
B. In single family residential areas public hydrants
shall be spaced so that the maximum distance between them is
600 feet. If street intersections are over 700 feet apart,
additional public hydrants will be placed between them so as
not to be more than 600 feet from public hydrants on either
side. If cul-de-sacs or dead end streets, road or driveways,
or combinations thereof, are over 300 feet long, additional
public hydrants shall be installed so that the public hydrant
spacing is not over 600 feet.
C. In areas other than single family residential,
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public fire hydrants shall be installed so that the distance
between them averages 300 feet. If street intersections are
over 400 feet apart, additional public fire hydrants shall
be placed between them so as not to be more than 300 feet
apart. If cul-de-sacs or dead end streets, roads or drive-
ways, or combinations thereof, are over 150 feet long,
additional public hydrants shall be installed so that the
public hydrant spacing is not over 300 feet.
D. For the purpose of this Chapter, the fire flow
requirement for areas other than single family residential
shall be determined by the Fire Chief, whose determination
will be based on the criteria set forth in Appendix "A", a
copy of which is attached hereto and by this reference is
incorporated herein as if set forth in full, and such other
factors as require adequate fire flow.
E. The required fire flow shall be available at a
residual pressure in the mains figured for ground elevation
of not less than 20 PSI, except where the building is equipped
with fire protection systems dependent upon the distribution
mains for supply, in which case the required fire flow shall
be available at a residual pressure which will satisfactorily
operate the aforementioned system.
F. All buildings except single family dwellings
that are located so that a portion is more than 200 feet from
a street, as measured along the right-of-way line of vehicular
access routes, shall have private fire hydrants located
at the building.
G. Buildings having required fire flows of less than
2500 GPM's may have fire hydrants on one side of the building
only, provided there shall never be less than two fire hydrants
for any building larger than 5,000 square feet in first floor
area including covered parking and storage. When the
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required fire flow is over 2500 GPM, the fire hydrants shall
be served by a loop main around the building or complex of
buildings.
H. The number of fire hydrants to be installed shall
be determined by having an average spacing of 300 feet
measured around the perimeter 500 feet out from the buildings
All hydrants are to be accessible to Fire Department vehicles
over all-weather roads. The Fire Chief shall determine the
location of fire hydrants depending on utility, topography
and building location for maximum fire protection purposes.
Section 10.10.070 Mains and Service Lines
A. All public hydrants in single family areas shall
be supplied by not less than six inch circulating water mains.
All hydrants in areas other than single family residential
shall be supplied by not less than eight inches circulating
water mains. Dead end water mains supplying fire hydrants
must be at least eight inches in diameter, with the exception
of mains up to 50 feet long which may be no less than six
inches in diameter.
B. The service line from the water main to the
hydrant shall be no less than six inches in diameter. Any
service lines over 50 feet in length from water main to
hydrant shall be no less than eight inches in diameter. The
provisions of this Section shall apply without exception and
regardless of the size of the service main.
C. All water mains serving or plan to be serving
fire protection systems, installed or replaced in the City
of Edmonds hereinafter shall have a minimum diameter of six
inches.
Section 10.10.080 Private hydrants. The installa-
tion of private hydrants as defined herein shall meet the
requirements for public hydrants and shall be located as
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designated by the Fire Chief to provide adequate fire
protection. The Fire and Public Works Departments shall
have the right to go upon the premises and to use the pri-
vate hydrant for testing, flushing and public emergency
uses.
Section 10.10.090 Flush type hydrants. The
installation of flush type hydrants is prohibited unless
approved by the Fire Chief where undue practical hardship
would otherwise be created without relative increase in
fire protection.
Section 10.10.100 Outlets.
Fire hydrants shall
have two 2-1/2 inch hose outlets and one 4-1/2 inch pumper
port outlet. All outlets ports shall have national standard
thread, and valve openings no less than five inches in dia-
meter. Fire hydrants shall meet the American Water Works
Association, Standard No. C-502.
Section 10.10.110 Installation, fittinqs and valves.
Fire hydrants shall be installed to meet sound engineering
practices and to the approval of the Public Works Department,
who shall also approve the selection and use of all pipe
fittings and valves. There shall be a foot valve installed
between the service main and the Hydrant sufficient to
permit the repair and replacement of the hydrant without
disruption of water service. The foot valve shall be
installed to Public Works Department standards. The location
of all such valves installed shall be properly and accurately
marked on as -built plans or drawings with generally acceptable
engineering detail, two copies of which shall be furnished
to the Public Works Department. Valves shall be furnished
with a standard valve box.
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Section 10.10.120 Street grade and hydrant clearance.
Hydrants shall stand plumb, be set to established street
grade with the lowest outlet of the hydrant no less than
eighteen inches above the street grade and no less than thirty-
six inches of clear area about the hydrant for clearance of
hydrant wrench on both outlets and on the control valve. The
pumper port shall face the street. Where the street cannot
be clearly defined or recognized the port shall face the
most likely route of approach and location of the fire truck
while pumping which shall be determined by the Fire Chief.
Section 10.10.130 Hydrant protection. Where needed
for hydrant protection from damage the Fire Chief will
require hydrants to be protected by two or more posts, eight
inches in diameter by five feet long, made either of reinforced
concrete or steel, their location to meet the provisions of
Section 10.10.120.
Section 10.10.140 Existing hydrants. If there
presently exist fire hydrants which do not conform to the
requirements specified herein such hydrants when replaced
shall be replaced with hydrants which do so conform.
Section 10.10.150 Surrounding vegetation prohibited.
No person shall plant any vegetation, erect any structure
or perform any action which results in the obstruction, of a
fire hydrant for a distance of 50 feet along the immediate
route of approach. The owner -occupant of any area in which a
hydrant is located shall be responsible for removing weed and
tree growth from around the hydrant for a distance of not less
than five feet. The purpose of this Section is to maintain clear
approach and visual area around the hydrant.
Section 10.10.160 Installation and approval. The
installation of the fire hydrants and mains may be accomplished
by contract or Public Works Department employees. All
installations are to be approved by the City Engineer.
Section 10.10.170 Testing and flushing. Following
the installation of fire hydrants, all pipes, valves and hydrants
shall be pressure tested, purified, flushed and sampled to
meet the requirements of the American Water Works Association,
Standard No. C-502.
Section 10.10.180 Penalties. Any person, firm,
corporation or other organization, including any officers,
directors and managers thereof, who violate any provision of
this Chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to
penalties as set forth in Section 5.12.170 of the Edmonds
City Code, provided, however, the application of any penalty
for such violation shall not preclude the requirement of
removal of substandard installation and requirement of
compliance with the standards prescribed by this Chapter.
Section 10.10.190 Savings. If any clause, para-
graph or section hereof shall be judged invalid for any
reason, such adjudication shall not affect any other clause,
paragraph or section not so adjudicated, it being hereby
declared that this Chapter would have been enacted irrespective
of the fact that any portion be declared unlawful.
APPROVED:
MAYOR
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: July 6, 1971
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: July 6, 1971
PUBLISHED: July 14, 1971
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APPENDIX "A
The following table sets forth the criteria referred
to in Section 10.10.060 D and by this reference is incor-
corporated therein as if set forth in full.
FIRE FLOW (GPM)
Item Affecting Flow
Requirement
Item 1: Ground area of Building
in square feet (A)
Item 2: Height in Stories (H)
Item 3: Exposure to and from
the Building
TOTAL
Item 4: Deduct for fireproof
semi -fireproof con-
struction
Item 5: Add for frame con-
struction
Not to Required
Formula Exceed Flow
1000 + A/10 5000
500 (H-1) 3000
Judgment 2000
1/3 (1+2+3)
1/3 (1+2+3)
BALANCE
Item 6: Credit for small fuel
load 1/3 (1+2+3)
Item 7: Credit for automatic Judgment 1000
TOTAL FIRE FLOW REQUIRED
G.