Delaware Administrative Code
Title 1 - Authorities, Boards and Commissions
700 - Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission
702 - Fire Protection in Building Construction
Chapter 6 - Standard for Fire Flow for Fire Protection
Section 702-6-5.0 - Fire Hydrants

5.1.1 Hydrant spacing as shown in the Fire Flow Tables shall be used as a general rule. Hydrants shall be located at the direction of the State Fire Marshal so as to minimize friction in fire hose. All hydrant spacing shall be located along available roads or at the direction of the State Fire Marshal. This measurement shall be calculated by way of accessible thoroughfare(s) from the building to be protected to the hydrant and may not necessarily be a radius.

5.1.2 Hydrants shall be provided in such a manner that all fire department connections and/or standpipe connections shall be within 300' of a hydrant and shall meet the provisions of the applicable NFPA Regulations as adopted and/or modified by these Regulations. This measurement shall be calculated by way of accessible thoroughfare(s) from the proposed fire department connection to the hydrant and may not necessarily be a radius.

5.1.3 Additional hydrants shall be provided when the State Fire Marshal deems it necessary based on the configuration of the site, building(s), exposures, construction, occupancy, and/or specific hazard(s).

5.2.1 The number of hydrants required shall be based on spacing and location requirements or number of required fire hydrants, whichever is greater.

5.2.2 Required fire hydrants shall be the number of fire hydrants required to extract the required flow from the distribution system in a form and arrangement usable by the fire department.

5.3.1 Fire hydrants and water mains shall be installed in accordance with American Water Works Association Standard and all applicable NFPA codes and standards as adopted and/or modified by these Regulations.

5.3.2 Fire hydrants shall be supplied by not less than a six inch diameter main installed on a looped system or not less than an eight inch diameter main if the system is not looped or the fire hydrant is installed on a dead end main exceeding 300 feet in length.

5.3.3 Dead end mains shall not exceed 600 feet in length for main sizes under 10 inches in diameter.

Exception: Dead end mains exceeding 600 feet may be a minimum of 8 inches in diameter if an engineering analysis, acceptable to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, is submitted by a registered Professional Engineer demonstrating that the minimum flows and duration specified elsewhere in this Regulation are met or exceeded.

5.4.1 Fire hydrants installed in accordance with this requirement shall not be removed or shut down, except when repairs are necessary, without the permission of the State Fire Marshal.

5.4.2 The water supplier shall call the local fire dispatch center to report when a fire hydrant is taken out of service for repairs or maintenance. The supplier is to state the location and the approximate length of time the hydrant will be out of service. The supplier is to notify the local fire dispatch center when the hydrant is put back in service.