Plumas County Municipal Code Art. 10 Emergency Water for Fire Protection

(a) When a community water system is required for land division, the requirements of this article shall be satisfied before completion of road construction.

(b) When individual water systems are required for land division, the requirements of this article shall be satisfied before final inspection for building construction.

(c) Provisions of this article shall not apply to construction within land divisions approved before adoption of this article.

(§ 1, Ord. 91-762, eff. October 3, 1991)

(a) Developments located within the boundaries of any towns and master planned communities, as identified in the General Plan, shall be served by a community water system with adequate water, volume, pressure and storage capacity. Water systems equaling or exceeding the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1142, "Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting," 2012 Edition, hereby incorporated by reference, and California Fire Code, California Code of Regulations Title 24, Part 9, shall be accepted as meeting these requirements. Such emergency water may be provided in a fire agency mobile water tender, or naturally occurring or man-made containment structure, as long as the specified quantity is immediately available. Nothing in this article prohibits the combined storage of emergency wildfire and structural firefighting water supplies unless so prohibited by local ordinance or specified by the local fire agency. Where freeze protection is required by local jurisdictions having authority, such protection measures shall be provided.

(b) Developments not located within towns or master planned communities may provide water systems that meet or exceed the standards set forth in Section 1275.10 of the SRA Fire Safe Regulations in lieu of the requirements set forth in subsection (b) of this section.

(§ 1, Ord. 91-762, eff. October 3, 1991; § 1(Exh. A), Ord. 2018-1114, adopted October 9, 2018)

(a) Where hydrants or fire valves are required, they shall be located eighteen (18") inches above grade, eight (8') feet from flammable vegetation, no closer than four (4') feet nor farther than twelve (12') feet from a roadway, and in a location where fire apparatus using it will not block the roadway.

(b) Hydrants serving buildings shall not be less than fifty (50') feet nor more than one-half (½) mile by road from the building served and shall be located at a turnout or turnaround along the driveway of the building served or along the road that intersects with that driveway.

(c) Hydrant heads shall be brass with a two and one-half (2½) inch National Hose male thread with cap for pressure or gravity flow systems and four and one-half (4½) inch for draft systems. Hydrants shall be wet or dry barrel as required by the delivery system. Hydrants shall have crash protection as required by the local fire protection entity.

(§ 1, Ord. 91-762, eff. October 3, 1991)

(a) Hydrants and fire valves and access to water located along a driveway shall be identified by a reflectorized blue marker with a minimum dimension of three (3") inches on the street address sign, mounted on a fire retardant post.

(b) Hydrants and fire valves and access to water located along a road shall be identified by a reflectorized blue marker with a minimum dimension of three (3") inches, mounted on a fire retardant post. The sign post shall be within three (3') feet of the hydrant or fire valve. The sign shall be no fewer than three (3') feet nor more than five (5') feet above ground. The sign shall be horizontal and visible from the driveway.

(c) Hydrants and fire valves and access to water may be identified as specified in the State Fire Marshal's Guidelines for Fire Hydrant Markings Along State Highways and Freeways, May 1988, in lieu of the methods described above.

(§ 1, Ord. 91-762, eff. October 3, 1991)

Emergency water for fire protection shall be available for use within twelve (12') feet of a driveway or road.

(§ 1, Ord. 91-762, eff. October 3, 1991)

Inspection of community water systems shall be made by a representative of the Department of Public Works. Inspections of individual water systems shall be made by representatives of the Building Official and the local fire protection entity. When the contractor or developer requires such inspection, he shall notify the appropriate department in writing or by telephone call not less than five (5) working days prior to the time that he would like to have the inspection made, and in advance of starting his next phase of construction. Inspection will be made within three (3) working days after completion of the construction phase requiring inspection.

Written reports on the results of the inspection will be available to all parties concerned within thirty-six (36) hours after the field inspection is made.

(§ 1, Ord. 91-762, eff. October 3, 1991; § 1(Exh. A), Ord. 2018-1114, adopted October 9, 2018)