Fire hydrants
Fire Hydrants
Keep hydrants clear and maintained to ensure firefighters can act quickly when every second counts.
Keep fire hydrants visible and accessible
Help the Kelowna Fire Department easily access a hydrant during an emergency:
- Maintain a 1‑metre clear space around every hydrant
- Never park within 1 metre of a hydrant (fines apply)
- Keep hydrants free of snow, ice, vegetation, fences, and other obstructions
- Ensure hydrants remain fully visible from the street from both directions
- Do not connect anything to a hydrant without permission, see Kelowna’s Fire & Life Safety Bylaw No. 10760
- Need water from a hydrant? Contact your water provider for a permit*
*Private hydrants are for fire suppression only. Permits will not be issued for any other use.
Fire hydrant in need of maintenance? REPORT IT
Own a private fire hydrant?
Private hydrants located on strata properties, apartment complexes, commercial sites, and industrial areas are not maintained by the City of Kelowna. Property owners are responsible for ensuring these hydrants are inspected, maintained, and repaired.
As per the BC Fire Code requirements (Section 6.6.4 – Hydrants), owners of private hydrants must ensure hydrants remain visible, accessible, and in good working condition. Be sure to hire a certified Fire Protection & Prevention Consultant to complete the work.
Annual flushing and inspections
- Hydrants shall be flushed at intervals not greater than 12 months with the main valve and any outlet valves fully opened until the water runs clear.
- Hydrants shall be inspected at intervals not greater than 12 months and after each use
Proper record keeping
- The type, capacity, colour, location and maintenance of each fire hydrant on privately owned lands shall be subject to the approval of the Fire Chief.
- Records of inspections and tests on the hydrants shall be submitted to the Fire Chief on an annual basis and after each use.
Maintenance
- Hydrants shall be maintained in operating condition
- No person shall make any attachment or connection to any hydrant on public or private property without the authority of the Fire Chief and local water improvement district
- A clear and unobstructed radius of one meter must be maintained around each fire hydrant or standpipe, and it must be possible to clearly view each hydrant or standpipe from the roadway while approaching from either direction
Repairs
- Hydrants shall be inspected to ensure that hydrant caps are in place, and caps with worn, rusted or obstructed threads that might hamper easy removal shall be repaired or replaced.
- Hydrant barrels shall be inspected to determine if water has accumulated as a result of a leaking main valve or a plugged or damaged drain valve.
- Main valves that are leaking and drain valves that are plugged or damaged shall be repaired (where it’s not practical to repair faulty drain valves or where drain valves are intentionally plugged, measures shall be taken to prevent the freezing of accumulated water)
Painting
- When re-painting hydrants, the barrel shall be painted Rustoleum Yellow (paint code 659)
- If the water flow is known the caps and top of the hydrant shall be painted as follows:
- 0 to 30 litres/second (0 to 500 USgpm): Weather-it Red (Paint code 10-222)
- 31 to 63 litres/second (500 to 1000 USgpm): Weather-it Orange (Paint code B54Z-400)
- 64 to 95 litres/second (1000 to 1500 USgpm): Weather-it green (Paint code 10-230)
- Greater than 95 litres/second (1500+USgpm): Weather-it Blue (Paint code 10-234)
- If the water flow is not known, contact your hydrant maintenance company as it may have to flow the hydrant to determine the flow. Records of the flow shall be submitted to the Fire Chief.
Hydrant paint colour specification table
| Hydrant part | Colour | Supplier | Supplier Colour | Supplier Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Black | Coal Tar Epoxy | ||
| Body | Yellow | General Paint | Hi-Vis Yellow | GP 202 |
| Cloverdale | Safety Yellow | Code 2589 | ||
| Rustoleum | Rustoleum Yellow | Code 659 | ||
| Caps and Bonnet | ||||
| 0-30 L/s | Red | General Paint | Signal Red | GP 208 |
| 0-500 USgpm | Cloverdale | Bright Red | Code 2505 | |
| Inadequate | Rustoleum | Rustoleum Red | Code 1210 | |
| 31-60 L/s | Orange | General Paint | Light Orange | GP 206 |
| 500-1,000 USgpm | Cloverdale | Hitachi Orange | Code 2521 | |
| Marginally adequate | Rustoleum | Rustoleum Orange | Code 956 | |
| 61-90 L/s | Green | General Paint | Signal Green | GP 214 |
| 1,000-1,500 USgpm | Cloverdale | Oliver Green | Code 2565 | |
| Good for residential | Rustoleum | Rustoleum Green | Code 1282 | |
| >90L/s | Blue | General Paint | National Blue | GP 209 |
| >1,500 USgpm | Cloverdale | Safety Blue | Code 2592 | |
| Very good flow | Rustoleum | Rustoleum Blue | Code 721-5D |
