They still produce the water necessary for Seattle Fire crews to do battle but 15 fire hydrants around Capitol Hill will receive special markers this week designating them as “low flow” to help responders better plan their attack. Here is an announcement from the city about the project to mark 70 low-flow hydrants around the city with red discs — and the answer to one of those questions that are bound to come up on your next walk through the neighborhood with a 5-year-old.

Project/Description of Work: 
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews will install a red reflective ring on low-flow fire hydrants in your neighborhood. Low-flow hydrants are defined as those that deliver less than 500 gallons of water per minute.

The red ring provides a distinct and very visible way for Seattle Fire Department personnel to quickly and easily identify low-flow hydrants in cases of emergency.

Low-flow hydrants are fully operational, but output less water per minute than other hydrants. The clearly marked hydrants aid firefighters by helping ensure that the best fire-suppression tactics are chosen when operating a low-flow hydrant.

More than 18,000 fire hydrants are located throughout the City of Seattle of which about 70 are classified as low-flow hydrants and will be tagged with the red ring.

Dates/Times: Crews will begin installing the rings the week of May 20 and expect to have all low-flow hydrants throughout the city marked by the end of May 2013.

Contacts: If you have questions about this work, please contact SPU Hydrant Crew Chief Charles Jackson at (206) 396-1826 or [email protected].

For questions about fire safety in your neighborhood, contact Seattle Fire Department Public Information Officer Kyle Moore at (206) 386-1679 or [email protected].