Georgetown Fire Department has established the following procedure for obtaining fire hydrant flow information. This procedure will provide a final flow test for water based fire protection design, and for design of private fire lines. The values received will be adjusted based on Georgetown’s water system and seasonal needs. It will be the responsibility of the contractor to use the adjusted values and meet the minimum safety margins when completing a design. Plans submitted without adjusted values will be rejected. The contractor will also be responsible for following NFPA 291 – Recommended Practice for Fire Flow Testing and Marking of Hydrants.
**Fire Flow Testing will be conducted each Monday (Excluding Holidays) if the water system and schedule allows. Requests are due by Wednesday (5:00 P.M.) of the previous week. Please allow one week for verifying hydrants and 1 week for final adjustments to flow results.**
Thislinkcan be used to locate water mains and fire hydrant locations.
Georgetown Fire Department does not conduct Fire Flow Testing.
Each request shall include a map with the test and flow hydrants.
A calendar invite will be emailed from Fire and Life Safety with the date and time of when you should perform the test.
On the day of the test, the requestor calls the control center to verify the pumps are off and the test can be completed (512-819-3152).
Requestor makes a flow test per NFPA 291 using the approved hydrant and records all results including; flow hydrant pitot, hydrant coefficient, test hydrant static/residual, and number and size of outlets flowing.
Requestor emails results to Fire & Life Safety at firehydrant@georgetown.org with the test results and a map or sketch confirming the test and flow hydrants.
Results will be reviewed and adjusted according to the high and low tank levels of the tower supporting the hydrants.
Final results are emailed to the contractor for use with the design of the water based fire protection system. This form shall be included with the fire protection submittal.
For questions, please call Daniel Bilbrey at 512-930-6557.
Requestor shall complete a flow test request form online by selecting the button below:
Flow test data is only valid for 1 year from the date of the test. Projects shall be designed and submitted within 1 year of the test date. Project construction extending beyond 18 months of the original flow test date will require a new flow test for verification.
Safety Margins:
Water based fire protection system must meet the following hydraulic calculation safety factor.
Residential 13D and 13R – 10% or 5psi – (Lesser of the system demand)
Commercial NFPA 13 – Light Hazard – 10% or 5psi – (Lesser of the system demand)
Commercial NFPA 13 – Ordinary Hazard and above – 10psi or 10% (Whichever is greater)
Standpipe and Hose Systems NFPA 14 – 10psi or 10% (Whichever is greater)
Water Spray Fixed Systems NFPA 15 – 10psi or 10% (Whichever is greater)
Foam Water Sprinkler and Foam Water Spray Systems NFPA 16 – 10psi or 10% (Whichever is greater)
