Before right now, you might have never even heard of yard hydrants. They’re not super high on the radar for most people. However, for a specific set of circumstances, they’re a perfect solution.

Here, we’re going to take you through everything you could possibly need to know about yard water hydrants before adding one to your property. We’ll start with basic definitions and situations where yard hydrants are most useful. Then, we’ll move into more detailed topics: What parts a yard water hydrant contains, how to go about selecting one, and whether you want to install them yourself or have a professional do it, among others. The goal is to help you make an informed decision.

If you’re considering adding a yard hydrant to a property you own or manage, then we’ve rounded up all the initial concerns you might have and addressed them here. Let’s jump in.

What is a yard hydrant?

We won’t get very far if we don’t answer this most basic question. What exactly is a yard water hydrant, anyway?

When you hear the word “hydrant,” your first association is probably a fire hydrant, the kind of bright yellow things on street corners. The hydrants we’re talking about here are pretty different from those kinds of hydrants. A yard water hydrant might also be called a water pump, a frost- or freeze less hydrant, or an outdoor hydrant. Basically, it’s a piece of plumbing equipment that gets water to an external place, and it drains itself to ground after you turn it off to prevent freezing in the winter. In the simplest terms, it’s an outdoor faucet.

When you need to get water to a semi-remote location on your property, yard hydrants are a great choice. They come in several different varieties for different purposes, as we’ll explain in more detail later. 

Now, let’s move into the places where you’re most likely to encounter a yard hydrant.

Where are yard hydrants most useful?

You probably don’t see yard hydrants too often if you only frequent urban areas. Yard hydrants can typically be found on farms, campgrounds, horse ranches, parks, and other rural properties, but we’ll go into specifics here shortly. 

Any more remote location where you need to get water without laboriously lugging it from site to site is a good candidate for yard hydrants. If you need water somewhere a hose won’t reach or there’s no spigot nearby, then you need a yard water hydrant. We dive a little deeper into each of these in the following sections.

Farms

Farmers have all kinds of water needs. If you need to get water to animals that don’t have a convenient spigot nearby, a yard hydrant is an obvious solution. You can place yard hydrants around the farm at convenient locations for livestock, crops, holding pens, and any other place where water is important to have handy.

Campgrounds

Fresh water is a definite must-have at any campsite, for obvious reasons. Since yard hydrants are usually frost-proof, they make for a great choice because they’re ready to go at a moment’s notice. They’re versatile, and there are few limits on where they can be placed. Large campgrounds can definitely benefit from having strategically placed yard hydrants around, making it convenient for everyone to get water.

Golf Courses

Since the grass is pretty much the main draw at any golf course, maintaining it properly is super important. That means lots of watering. A yard water hydrant at the right spots around a golf course can make that huge job a bit easier. Precision is important here, and that’s one reason why yard water hydrants often make a good choice — you have a lot of freedom in where you place them.

Parks

These are much the same as campgrounds in many ways. You’ve got a public place where people need access to water. Parks can benefit from yard hydrants both for irrigation purposes and for drinking water (using sanitary yard hydrants), depending on their location. In some cases, they can also be helpful in fire suppression (but they are typically not fire rated like a fire hydrant).

Residential

Most residential lots have adequate water access without adding any extra hydrants, but that’s not the case for everyone. Some homeowners with large plots benefit from adding yard hydrants near gardens that need regular watering. Others add one near the driveway so they can have an easier time washing their car. 

Placing a hydrant in your yard means you won’t need super long, hard-to-maneuver hoses, and you’ll have an overall easier time with your chores. 

What are the different components of a yard hydrant?

Generally, there are three main aspects of a yard water hydrant: The standpipe, the head, and the valve.

The standpipe is a vertical pipe that comes out of the ground. The height will vary a bit from model to model, but they typically stand a few feet tall. On top of that is the head of the hydrant. That’s where the outlet for the water is. Some of them are threaded, meaning you can attach a hose, while others are smooth. This is one of the most important features to keep in mind when you’re selecting a yard water hydrant. 

How you operate a yard hydrant can also vary between different models. Some hydrants have a spoked handle that you turn, while others have a long, gripable handle that you raise. The former category tends to be more decorative, while the latter is fairly strictly utilitarian. Different kinds of hydrant heads will dictate how they work.

The final component we’ll mention is inside of the standpipe. This is, of course, the valve. The valve has to sit below the frost line, which means it’s past the point where the ground freezes in the winter. This construction is how the hydrant can function all year long, even in extreme cold, without freezing the pipes.

How do I choose the right hydrant?

You have plenty of options when it comes to yard water hydrants. So, you’ll need some ways to narrow it down. A good place to start would be how decorative you want your yard hydrants to be. Some of them are more utilitarian, while others are designed to be more pleasing to the eye and fit in with a more upscale garden. 

Think about what you really want out of your hydrant and then go from there. Do you just need something that will get the water to where you need it, or will the standard models stick out to you as a bit of an eyesore? 

Then, of course, you want to consider the weather and climate conditions where you live. Most yard hydrants are self-draining, so they’re fit for most places. However, this is something you want to check before making a final decision, especially if you live somewhere that experiences extreme cold.

Another important aspect is what the hydrant is made of. For durability and longevity, you want to avoid cheap plastic construction. These sorts of parts tend to fail more quickly than their metal counterparts. 

Also, make sure your hydrant can be attached to the right kind of hose if that’s something you’re planning on using it for. They come in different sizes, and not all of them have the threading required to screw on a hose. A ¾” GHT (garden hose thread) is usually what most end users will want.

Finally, perhaps the most important consideration of all: Are you planning on using the yard water hydrant for drinking water? If so, you’ll need to find a model specifically designed for potable water. These are called sanitary hydrants and are designed not to drain to ground.

Can I install one myself?

You might want to save money by putting the hydrant in the ground yourself, sidestepping the need for a professional to come out to your property and get the job done. However, unless you’re totally confident in your digging and plumbing skills, it’s better to leave this job to the professionals.

You’ll need to dig deep enough that the pipe leading from the water supply to the hydrant is beneath the frost line. Depending on where you live, that could be a lot of digging. Find out how deep the ground freezes in your area and then make sure you’re willing and able to dig a trench that deep. If not, calling in the professionals to install your yard water hydrants is definitely the way to go. They’ll know exactly how to do it properly. That way, you’ll save yourself some major headaches down the line when the weather gets rough.

How do you maintain a yard hydrant?

Fortunately, yard hydrants do not require very much maintenance. And when they do, it should be fairly easy to service them. This can all be done from above ground — no digging required.

Yard hydrants drain to a level below the frost line, meaning you don’t have to worry about their pipes freezing. This is helpful for climates that experience extreme cold temperatures. Warmer areas don’t have to worry about pipes freezing as much, so this is less of a concern in those places.

While freezing shouldn’t be an issue if your yard water hydrants have been installed properly, there are other problems that might arise and require some work. Your hydrant might begin to leak, for example. In that case, you’ll likely need to replace the seat and/or O-rings on the plunger. Staying on top of leaks is important because it prevents freezing issues. 

So, to sum this all up, you don’t have to do much to maintain a yard hydrant, besides periodically changing the seat and O-rings on the plunger. You should be able to get many years of good use out of them without too many issues, and those can usually be fixed without much headache. The digging only needs to be done once when initially installing the yard hydrant.

Can I do the maintenance myself?

Much like the question as to whether you should have a professional install your yard hydrants to begin with, this one will depend on your comfort level with this kind of work. It’s certainly easier to do most of the typical maintenance or easy fixes than digging deep trenches, though. If you’re moderately handy, you can probably handle most of this on your own. 

Like we already said, you should be able to do basic fixes and maintenance without digging the hydrant up or doing anything too invasive. Most people can take care of it themselves, but you do want to be sure you’re doing the job properly. Check if there are any brand-specific instructions and collect all the tools you’ll need to make sure you have everything. As long as those boxes are ticked, then you should be able to take care of basic maintenance on your own.

How often will I have to replace a yard hydrant?

Regular wear and tear means no hydrant is going to last forever. However, you shouldn’t worry about replacing yard hydrants too often. As we explained in the previous section, you can service your hydrant from above ground if anything needs attention if the yard hydrant you choose has this ability. Digging up the whole thing and replacing it is a much more difficult task and shouldn’t be done unless absolutely necessary. 

It’s impossible to say exactly when that replacement will be unavoidable, but you should be able to count on many years of faithful service from your yard water hydrants. This is especially true if you avoid hydrants with cheap plastic parts and instead opt for durable materials like brass and steel.

Okay, you’ve convinced me. What are my next steps?

Now that you’re fairly confident a yard water hydrant is the right choice for your property, refer back to our section about choosing the right hydrant for your needs. Decide what you want and get looking! There are lots of yard hydrant options on the market. 

Whether you manage a commercial property like a golf course or just want an extra water outlet in your yard back home, these kinds of hydrants could make your life a whole lot easier. As we’ve explained, there are lots of great benefits to adding one of these pieces of equipment to your water system. They’re versatile, frost-proof, and able to meet a wide variety of needs.

You can start by seeing if any of your different yard hydrant options here at Kupferle will fit your needs.

No one wants to mess around when it comes to the quality of water in their community. Water quality management is one of the main public health concerns in any city, town, or county, and it’s absolutely imperative that waterworks professionals take it seriously. Regularly taking samples from the water main and testing them is a key way to judge the quality of the water. It’s possible to collect a sample from several different types of sources, but the one we’re going to focus on here is sampling stations.

We’ll answer all of the most common questions people tend to have about water sampling stations and their alternatives in the following sections. Some forms of water sampling involve water quality intelligent monitoring and flushing stations with sensors and PLCs, but that’s a different application from what we will discuss here. We’re focusing on collecting the sample to be sent to labs to test under the Revised Total Coliform Rule.

Why is water quality testing so important?

The answer here likely goes without saying, but water quality testing is absolutely vital and required to maintaining the health of a community. Some of the worst disease outbreaks of all time have been due to waterborne pathogens. Even though we have made great strides in water treatment and water quality management, ongoing testing ensures that our treatment strategies and the integrity of our distribution systems remain safe. Staying on top of water quality means frequent testing.

Because testing water for signs of potentially harmful microbials is so important, the government regulates how it’s done so that everyone abides by proper water quality standards. The next section will cover some of the major rules when it comes to water quality testing.

What kind of regulations apply to water quality testing?

When a professional in this field takes a sample, one of the main things they’re looking for are total coliforms. These are types of bacteria that are typically not harmful to humans, but they can be important warning signs that something is not quite right.

If you test a distribution system and no total coliforms are present, then it’s unlikely that there are fecal pathogens in that water supply. However, if coliforms are present in a sample, that indicates that the water distribution system might be a vulnerable to other pathogens such as fecal coliform or e. coli.

The federal Safe Drinking Water Act requires public water systems to test for coliforms as well as elements like arsenic, mercury, and fluoride, among many others. These tests are also required to happen at specific frequencies. In this piece, we are focusing on equipment used to take bacteriological samples, but know that water quality testing goes even farther than that.

Additionally, the Revised Total Coliform Rule mandates that if a sample tests positive for total coliforms, then more tests must be performed. A system must then test the sample for either fecal coliforms or e. coli bacteria. Then, within 24 hours, they must take three to four samples at sites near to the sampling site that produced the positive sample. Finally, within the next month of operation, they must take five or more routine samples.

On top of these federally mandated rules, the Environmental Protection Agency has specifically allowed dedicated sampling stations to be used for these purposes. We’ll go over some of the reasons why water sampling stations make more sense than their counterparts in a later section. First, we need to define what a dedicated sampling station is in the first place.

What is a dedicated sampling station?

A dedicated sampling station is a specialized piece of equipment where water operators can collect water samples directly from a distribution system in order to test it for harmful microbials or signs of harmful materials, like the tests we outlined above.

Dedicated sampling stations are convenient places to test the quality of a system’s water. They’re specifically designed and engineered for a single purpose, and they’re vital to ensuring the safety of a water distribution system.

What are the advantages of sampling stations over other options?

Number one is the convenience. When the utility controls the site, it can collect samples at any time. Other options for taking samples from a water system include going into a home or business, which means the operator would have to coordinate with the owner or resident making sure they are there in order to get access to a tap inside. Avoiding this with a dedicated water sampling station also decreases liability issues that might arise whenever water utility personnel step onto private property, such as property damage claims or other serious accusation like sexual harassment.

Another major advantage is that dedicated sampling stations have a singular purpose: To collect samples for water quality testing. When utilities use dedicated sampling stations, they control the tap. That means the cross-contamination potential is lower because it is a single-use tap unlike multi-use taps in kitchens and bathrooms. False positives are also less common with dedicated sampling stations. When the tap is regularly used for purposes other than sampling, it may potentially compromise the integrity of the sample.

A third reason why dedicated sampling stations are considered a best practice is utilities can obtain a quality water sample directly from the water main. If you’re using a home’s sink, as an example, then you run the risk of taking samples filtered through the site plumbing rather than directly from the water main. Dedicated sampling stations enable utilities to get a better representative sample of water that they produce right from the water main.

Another disadvantage of using private or public taps is that your site map can constantly be changing as people move and relocate. When this happens, you will have to resubmit your sampling map to the EPA for approval if your sample location changes from one house to another. With dedicated sampling stations your site map remains the same once you have installed dedicated sampling stations throughout the system.

Drawbacks of Sampling Stations

While there are many benefits of choosing a dedicated sampling station over taking samples from multi-use taps, they also have a few cons you should keep in mind. Obviously, we think the pros far outweigh them, but you should be aware of them, nonetheless.

The most obvious one is the cost of purchasing and installing the dedicated sampling stations. Most utilities will budget a number of stations per year making it easier to completely revamp their system over a period of time. If making the move to dedicated sampling stations, utilities will want to place these into their specs so that any new construction will include them in the plans. Additionally, like any type of operating hydrant there are maintenance costs of replacing seats to keep the stations functioning as design without leaking. These costs are nominal, and all maintenance can be performed from above ground with digging required.

What kind of dedicated sampling stations are out there?

Let’s go through the kinds of dedicated sampling stations Kupferle manufactures so you can get a better idea of what your options are. One thing that all Kupferle dedicated sampling stations share (and that no sampling station should have) are nozzles without threads and no drain/weep hole. As threads collect “gunk” they can possibly produce a false negative if this “gunk” may happen to get into the sample. Additionally, one should never take a water quality sample from any type of hydrant or device that drains to ground as cross-contamination from the ground water may again create a false positive sample.

Eclipse #88 Series

These best-selling dedicated sampling stations all share the same sturdy cast-aluminum powder-coated enclosure. Some are designed for freezing climates while other are for non-freezing (WC designation) areas of the country. The #88-SS and #88WC-SS both utilize an all-stainless steel waterway, while the #88 and #88WC use brass. Kupferle also offers an extreme cold climate model the Eclipse #88-SS-R that allows for the entire waterway to be removed if a freezing incident happens due to a leaking seat or an operator who may have forgotten to pump out the station. This station is for far north locations like the northern US and Canada. To keep water that is caught above the seat when shutting off the stations for cold climates, Kupferle has engineered a way to remove this water by plugging what would be the drain/week hole and running an evacuation line up inside the enclosure to a petcock above grade. Operators would use a small rechargeable Electric Evacuation Pump (sold separately) that they would attach to the petcock at the end of the evacuation line in order to pump out any remaining standing water during freezing seasons.

All the Eclipse #88 series products are easy to service from above ground, meaning crews won’t have to dig in order to do maintenance. The Eclipse #88 products are housed in lockable enclosures so that no unauthorized parties can use them. These enclosures are made of cast aluminum, making them extremely durable.

MainGuard #66 Series

The MainGuard #66 series shares the same stainless-steel waterway at the #88-SS and #88WC-SS but it is housed inside a fabricated aluminum enclosure instead of cast. Like the other sampling stations we’ve discussed, the MainGuard #66 and the MainGuard #66WC are meant to be placed outside where it’s easiest for sampling crews to access them. However, this line of stations has another option. The MainGuard #66MB is designed to be installed inside, perfect for public buildings (like fire stations) that are used for collecting samples. It features built-in mounting brackets, which allow you to place them on the wall with minimal effort.

As noted above, the MainGuard #66 sampling stations are housed in lockable, brushed aluminum enclosures, but an optional plastic dome or bollard enclosure is also available.

MainGuard #95WM

Visually, this type of water quality testing equipment is very different from the other sampling stations we’ve discussed this far. It is a meter resetter sampling stations that is housed inside of an existing meter box. It is easy to install and easy to take samples from using a sampling rod that threads onto the sampling point spring-loaded nozzle (sold separately with carrying case). It has adjustable horns that rotate to accommodate any size/shape meter and are replaceable if broken. Can also be used as a temporary station for additional upstream/downstream samples when needed.

Some other key features include an isolation shut-off maintenance valve, a three quarter inch stainless steel threaded sampling point, and copper horns with brass meter nuts.

MainGuard #94WM

One difference between the MainGuard #95WM and the #94WM is that the former includes a schedule 80 PVC body while this one has a brass body. Same sampling point as above using the same rod and carrying case. Like the 95WM it utilizes a coarse-threaded spring-loaded sampling nozzle that eliminates using any type of force to connect unlike quick-disconnect versions that eventually leak.

MainGuard #77-Hybrid

The hybrid in the name of this product indicates that it has two different functions in one piece of equipment: A sampling station and a flushing hydrant.

We’ve written about the importance of flushing aging water out of your distribution system in the past, and flush hydrants can be helpful tools in that endeavor. This station combined the 2” flushing power of a blow-off with a dedicated sampling point for collecting samples. Like the #88 and #66 series of sampling stations for cold climates it does not drain to ground, but can be evacuated using Kupferle’s Electric Evacuation Pump during freezing seasons.

Eclipse #82WC

Like the above #77-Hybrid, the Eclipse #82WC provides a 2” flushing option to move water quickly before collecting samples but also incorporates a mechanical draining feature to keep it from freezing instead of using the Electric Evacuation Pump. Even in some warm climate areas there can occasionally be a flash freeze now and then. This station is designed to bleed water when temperatures fall below a certain level keeping the water moving and the standing pipe from freezing.

Its stainless-steel waterway is housed in a lockable plastic enclosure.

How do I choose the right water sampling station for my distribution system?

Once you’ve chosen to opt for a dedicated sampling station rather than using a tap that has other purposes, then you need to select the right piece of equipment for your system. There are several considerations that you should take into account.

When choosing the right water sampling stations for your system, you should already know to keep your community’s climate in mind. Some are meant for warm climates where freezing isn’t an issue, while others are built to withstand cold and extreme freezing temperatures.

Since the convenience of a dedicated sampling station is one of the main reasons to add one to your distribution system, the placement of the station is highly important. You’ll want crews to have easy access.

Now you’re ready to make your decision.

We couldn’t possibly turn you from a newcomer to a complete expert in water sampling and water quality management in just one blog post, but now that you’ve reached the end, you should have a good base of knowledge to get you started on the right path.

You now know about the major regulations in place that make water sampling stations necessary, and you’ve read about the reasons why dedicated sampling stations are often a better alternative than taps that are also used for other purposes when it comes to water quality testing. We also discussed the different products Kupferle manufactures to meet these needs, so you should have an informed understanding of the options that Kupferle offers.

With all of that in mind, you should be pretty well prepared to choose the right sampling stations for your distribution system, but if you need some additional assistance don’t hesitate to contact Kupferle at info@hydrants.com or call at 800-321-3990.

Technology these days is going at lightspeed, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down any time soon. All the different capabilities of the new gadgets constantly hitting the market keep ballooning to higher and higher levels. There are very few industries that remain unaffected, and the waterworks industry is definitely not one of them. Introducing intelligent monitoring and flushing technology to your water system could be just what you need to bring a distribution system into the 21st century.

Making sure your water system has the right mix of equipment is paramount to improving and maintaining drinking water quality. Your community is counting on it, and they might not even know it. Here, we’re going to explore a couple of your options when it comes to water quality equipment in your distribution system, with a particular focus on adding intelligent monitoring and flushing capabilities.

At first blush, these different types of stations might sound quite similar, but that’s only if you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of water systems and the different fire hydrant options within them. For example, an Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing station and a smart fire hydrant might sound like similar pieces of equipment, but they actually have very little in common with each other. And if you’re going to make an informed choice about what kind of equipment you’re going to install in the water system, then you need to read up on those important differences. That’s why we’re here.

First, we’ll explain some basic concepts. 

What is a smart fire hydrant?

Of course, there’s no way you’ll want to add smart fire hydrant technology to your existing distribution system if you don’t know what it entails. That makes a brief explainer an excellent place to start. 

Calling a fire hydrant smart doesn’t mean it got a good grade on its SATs — a smart fire hydrant simply means it’s got some kind of technology component added to it. Some smart fire hydrants can collect and send water usage data with the goal of increasing efficiency, while others monitor the chlorine residuals, making sure they stay in the appropriate range. No matter what a smart fire hydrant is monitoring, the name indicates that it’s using sensors to take readings and record data relevant to the concerns of utilities. Then, it will store or report that data in a way that makes it convenient for interested parties to retrieve it.

The alternatives are what utilities have been doing for years — manually taking readings, flushing hydrants if necessary, or otherwise using manpower to make sure the system is functioning properly.

What kind of smart fire hydrant options are there?

Some smart fire hydrants are their own complete unit. These would fully replace traditional fire hydrants in a water system.

However, there’s also the option of retrofitting existing fire hydrants with a smart cap or other small device that has all the same smart capabilities. This sort of option can be particularly cost-effective, since many places don’t want to spring for all new fire hydrants all at once. Instead, you can purchase smart elements to upgrade existing fire hydrants. 

Here at Kupferle, we have several smart fire hydrant add-on options. Take, for example, the Eclipse #9250i. While not an entire smart fire hydrant itself, it’s a piece of equipment that can enhance the monitoring abilities of existing fire hydrants. This is a portable unit that attaches to the 2-1/2” NST nozzle and can be moved around your distribution system to monitor the pressure at various points. You’ll get real-time information about your water system pressure via cellular communication, which is a big draw for many. On top of all that, this product is solar powered, which means don’t even need to worry about periodically replacing batteries or the rolling cost of sending a worker out to do this. That’ll save you some valuable maintenance time and money. And since this unit is solar-powered, you can program the unit to send pressure data at 5-minute intervals or longer without having to worry about the battery going dead. You can also take advantage of notifications for high or low pressure threshold conditions.

Another intelligent option here at Kupferle is the Eclipse #9700i-Solar. This is a portable Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing station you can use on your existing fire hydrants to collect and transmit critical water quality data. The Eclipse #9700-Solar attaches to the 2-1/2” NST nozzle and can house up to eight sensors that monitor water quality aspects like chlorine (free, combined, or total), pressure, turbidity, pH, temperature, ORP, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, fluoride, among others. You’ll set the water quality parameters for chlorine (low and desired levels), and/or turbidity and the unit will flush to maintain these parameters, as well as, collect and transmit the data. This valuable data is easy to access and use (CSV files). Again, this product is not a smart fire hydrant on its own, but an analytical tool you can use to monitor water quality in various points of your distribution system utilizing your existing fire hydrants. 

A third option is for an activity every water utility performs on a regular basis…flushing fire hydrants. No matter how big or small a system, everyone flushes fire hydrants. But when flushing fire hydrants to raise chlorine residuals and improve the turbidity (clarity) of the water how do you know when you are done? For chlorine, most systems take hand samples and process them using a colorimetric chlorine analyzer. But for turbidity it is a bit harder and mostly done by looking at the clarity of the water in a white cup or mason jar. Kupferle provides yet another solution that piggybacks on fire hydrant flushing know at the Eclipse #9750i (aka The Flushing Buddy). The Flushing Buddy is a small case with a handle that goes with the crew and connects to a fire hydrant via a 2-1/2” hose connection. As the fire hydrant flushes the Flushing Buddy monitors the flush and alerts the crew when the chlorine and turbidity goals have been met, thus letting them know when to turn off the hydrant without guessing. Water quality data from multiple flushes is captured and is easily accessible to be loaded into a GIS program, pre-formatted spreadsheets (supplied by Kupferle) or imported into an existing SCADA system. The Flushing Buddy is another Intelligent Monitoring device that saves utilities precious time, water and money.

Smart Fire Hydrants and Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing

It turns out that Intelligent technology in water distribution systems can do a whole lot more than simply monitor and alert you to any problems with the equipment. It can also be massively useful to the flushing process. Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing can truly change the game when it comes to keeping your water fresh and safe. 

First of all, flushing is a process of removing water out of a distribution system. This is necessary in order to raise residual levels back to safe levels and remove aging water before disinfectant byproducts can form, both of which can post a threat to consumer’s health. There are a few ways to accomplish flushing a water distribution system, but by far the most high-tech is with Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Stations.

Flushing needs to happen fairly often in order to maintain the integrity of the water system, especially on water main dead-ends. Dead-ends with aging water issues need to be flushed at least once a week to prevent the formation of disinfection byproducts and also to make sure that chlorine residuals don’t fall below the minimum residual level so that they can’t properly combat the growth and spread of any microbial pathogens that might be present in the water supply.

By far the easiest and most efficient way to accomplish this important task is through Automatic Flushing Stations. The alternatives are far more labor intensive, time-consuming, and inefficient uses of water. So, let’s dive a little deeper into Automatic Flushing Stations to make it clear why they make a lot of sense in the smart hydrant space. 

Automatic Flushing Stations

Maybe it’s redundant to explain what an automatic flushing station is, since it’s a fairly straightforward concept, but for the sake of clarity, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page. These are not fire hydrants, but are a simple technology to employ either by attaching to existing fire hydrants or attaching directly to the main. Their sole functionality is to flush a water main dead-end or low flow area on a scheduled, programmed basis. No utility manpower needs to be used to accomplish this, which is a huge advantage over more traditional flushing methods. These stations operate solely on the power of a 9-volt battery.

Automatic Flushing Stations come with a handheld or Bluetooth controller that is simple to program and use. Using this device, you can set your desired day/time/duration for flushing. There’s plenty more to learn about Automatic Flushing Stations, and you can check out our other post on the subject here.

Why Should You Choose an Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Station?

There are plenty of reasons why Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing technology is the way of the future. We’ll list some of them here.

• Better data means better decisions. Using either a portable or permanent Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Station means you’ll be able to more accurately track water quality data like chlorine residuals, turbidity, pressure, etc. Having those data points will clue you into what’s actually going on in your water system. So when it comes time to make decisions about adding Automatic Flushing Stations, booster stations to raise residuals, replacing equipment, scheduling flushing crews to go out, or any other important aspect of your distribution system, you’ll have all the information you need to make informed choices.
• Being proactive saves time and money. Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Stations can let you know when there’s an issue, meaning you can get in front of it before it becomes a larger huge problem. For example, an Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Station, whether portable or permanent, can send pressure alarms to alert utilities of possible main breaks in certain zones of their system allowing them to get a “head start” in minimizing the damage that could occur and begin work on the issue.
• Technology makes processes more efficient. While an Automatic Flushing Station is not an Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Station, these units definitely fit under the same technology umbrella but in a lesser sense. As we’ve seen, Automatic Flushing Stations are much more efficient at flushing water main dead-ends on a consistent basis than the alternative of manually flushing fire hydrants. They don’t require crews to manually flush, they can be programmed to operate in the middle of the night when demand time for water is at its lowest point, and they can more accurately flush the right amount of water saving as much as 50% flushed water.

What is an Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Station?

We won’t get very far if we’re not all on the page about what an Intelligent Monitor and Flushing Station even is. An Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Station and a smart fire hydrant might sound somewhat similar if you’re not familiar with what they do. Smart fire hydrants can monitor pressure, etc. and send data using replaceable lithium-ion batteries, but they are hampered by the amount of power available. This can limit the frequency of which they collect and send data before batteries need to be replaced. But smart fire hydrants only report water quality data. In order to address issues crews must be deployed to flush in order to improve water quality. On the other hand, Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Stations not only monitor water quality with up to 8 separate sensors per station, but they also can improve and maintain water quality by flushing the exact amount of water needed to maintain safe residuals and remove aging water based on real water data and then transmit that data via a cellular connection. Additionally, most all of these stations are powered by lithium-ion batteries that are recharged either by solar panels or a water turbine that captures the kinetic energy of the flushing water.

Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Stations can not only be used to monitor and flush water to maintain water quality inside of a distribution system, they can also be used to monitor purchased or sold water from water wholesalers or municipal utilities that provide water over large geographical areas. As an example, a city in Ontario, Canada purchased water from another city that was some distance away. The water provider was required to deliver water with a minimum of a .2ppm residual. The buyer used a Kupferle Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Station to monitor the purchased water and automatically flushed any water that fell below the minimum. In the first year, it saved the purchasing city over $250,000 in flushed water using the data the Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Station provided. Water wholesalers can also benefit by monitoring the water they sell to cities and other water districts guaranteeing the quality of the water based on Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Station data.

Kupferle manufactures a full array of Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Stations. Portable stations that attached to fire hydrants, permanent stations that tap directly to the main in either warm or cold climates. Wall mounted monitoring stations that can be installed into existing pump stations, booster stations or any location with power and water. Portable and permanent pressure sensor stations that either attach to a fire hydrant or can tap directly to the main, a boss on a fire or flushing hydrant, or be incorporated into a meter resetter in a meter box.

Whatever you application need might be, Kupferle can provide a standard or customized Intelligent Monitoring and Flushing Station to fit you need.

When you turn on the tap to fill up a nice, cool, refreshing glass of water, you expect a clean stream to land in your glass, right? Ensuring the quality of our water is a top public health concern for any community. According to the World Health Organization, unsanitary water can lead to the spread of cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio, among other diseases. We’re lucky that most places here in the U.S. do have access to clean water for drinking, cooking, and other domestic uses, but that doesn’t mean this is a given. Keeping the quality of water at an acceptable level is no small task. Making sure water utilities have the equipment to properly attend to that concern is paramount, and one of those types of equipment is an automatic flushing station.

Here, we’ll take you through just a handful of the benefits an automatic flushing station can bring to a water system. We’ll detail how efficient, user-friendly, and effective these automatic flushing stations are, and why you should consider adding automatic flushing stations into your distribution system.

Before we jump into any of this, though, we need to make sure we’re all on the same page regarding the definition of an automatic flushing station. These devices can be a vital tool in improving and maintaining water quality, like we said, but many people in the water industry haven’t ever heard of them. We’ll define what an automatic flushing station is, and then we’ll get into what automatic flushing does. After we get that out of the way, we’ll move into what we promised you: Six benefits of an automatic flushing station. Sound good? Let’s begin.

What is flushing, and what different options are out there?

At the most basic level, flushing just means running water through a distribution system to freshen it up, getting rid of the old water and bringing in the new to raise residual levels and remove aging water before disinfectant byproducts form. When it comes to flushing a water system, your main options are an automatic flushing station, which we’ll talk about in detail in the rest of this piece, or flushing a fire hydrant or blow-off.

For now, let’s focus on flushing hydrants. Maybe you’ve seen water all over the street around a hydrant in the early spring months before and wondered what had happened. The likely cause was flushing. Cities will have crews go around and flush fire hydrants periodically, typically twice a year. This helps maintain the integrity of the water system. 

While flushing once or twice per year may be OK for exercising hydrants or flushing out debris from the system it is usually not sufficient to address aging water issues, especially on water main dead-ends. When chlorine is added to water and chemically changes the makeup of it, and then that water ages, two dynamics come into play. First, chlorine in water mains dissipates over time and can disappear altogether, usually within the first two weeks if customers on dead-end mains are not sufficiently using enough water and turning over the line. Once residuals fall below a .2 ppm for Free Chlorine / .5 ppm for Combined Chlorine, they are no longer able to control the growth and spread of microbial pathogens that may be present. Second, when naturally occurring organic material (NOOMs) that is in all water comes into contact with chlorine, these NOOMs are transformed into toxins we refer to as Disinfection By-Products or DBPs. These DBPs when consumed, inhaled (as in a shower mist), or absorbed through the skin can cause serious health issues such as heart disease, liver damage, and/or reduced nervous system activity. DBPs usually begin to form in as little as 4-7 days, so it is important to flush dead-end mains with aging water issues at least once per week.

So, while flushing hydrants is a good practice to improve water quality in general, it does not address the ongoing water quality issues of problematic dead-end mains. This is where alternatives come into play. Let’s get into them.

What is an automatic flushing station?

We won’t get very far into it without explaining what an automatic flushing station is to begin with. It’s important for all of us to be on the same page. And we can’t even begin to explain what an automatic flushing station is before explaining the water systems they’re part of.

We’re acting like this is some kind of big reveal, but it’s not, really. An automatic flushing station is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. When you’ve got to get water to people for all the things they need water to do, you need to make sure it’s clean and safe. Due to some factors we’ll detail in later sections, aging and stagnant chlorinated water does not fit that bill. One of the main goals of a water system is to keep water moving through the distribution system so that it never sits still long enough for chlorine residuals to dissipate, making it susceptible to the growth and spread of microbial pathogens, and for DBPs to begin to form.

As we’ve already discussed, flushing a water system can be done through opening a fire hydrant and releasing water that way. While a fire hydrant has several different functions in addition to flushing potential, an automatic flushing station’s singular purpose is to automatically flush areas with aging water issues on a scheduled programmed basis without the need for any utility manpower being present. 

Now that we’re all on the same page regarding what flushing is and what equipment you can use to do it, let’s jump into what we promised at the outset. Here are the six main benefits of choosing an automatic flushing system over the alternatives.

1. Helps prevent DBPs

The health benefits of automatic flushing are definitely paramount, but we can’t dive straight in. Once again, we need to clarify some terms before we can get any deeper. So, let’s answer a pretty important question…

What are DBPs?

DBP stands for disinfection byproduct. The process of making water safe to drink involves several steps and the additional of chemicals. The main player here is chlorine. According to the CDC, chlorine started being used as a disinfectant in 1850, and it became more widely used in the early 1900s. Today, chlorine is the most commonly used chemical disinfectant for water in the U.S. It’s an important tool that completely revolutionized water purification, so it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t also have drawbacks. When you use chlorine to purify water, and  it comes into contact with NOOMs that are present in all water, it can transform these NOOMs into toxins we call DBPs. When consumed, inhaled (as in a shower mist) or absorbed into the skin these DBPs can cause several health issues including heart disease, liver damage, and/or reduced nervous system activity.

How does a flushing station prevent DBPs?

One of the main ways to prevent DBPs is by not letting the water sit around for too long. A flushing station can get rid of any water that’s gotten old. Professionals in this field will talk about decreasing water age, and they don’t mean finding the fountain of youth. All it means is that after chlorine has been added to water, it’s a matter of time before DBPs start to form, so it’s important to make sure all the water you’re using isn’t “old” and prone to harmful DBPs. 

Automatic flushing removes that old water out of the system on a regular scheduled basis. That reduces the “age” of the water you’re using by getting rid of the old and bringing in new. The safe level of chlorine residuals can be attained through flushing the water out before DBPs have a chance to form. That lets a community have the disinfecting benefits of chlorinated water while avoiding the potential harmful effects of DBPs. 

2. Easy to use

This is a particular benefit for automatic flushing stations, as opposed to all flushing methods. Automatic Flushing Stations include a hand-held or Bluetooth controller whereby a user can program a set day/time/duration for flushing water lines. For example, you might set a schedule of three days a week for 20 minutes at 2 a.m. Automatic flushing stations allow users to flush during the lowest demand time, usually in the middle of the night, when most customers are asleep providing a fresh line of water for the morning.

Automatic flushing is definitely an easy way to go toward ensuring the quality of your water and most of the time the only maintenance needed is to replace two 9-volt batteries about once per year. Not all dead-end mains need to be flushed out as often as the example we gave above, as many of these have sufficient turnover. However, automatic flushing stations can be a huge asset for those dead-end mains that do require frequent flushing due to water aging issues.

With automatic flushing stations you flush less water, more often keeping chlorine residual levels consistently safe and removing aging water before DBPs can form. The EPA bench tested automatic flushing stations and found that they flushed up to 50% less water compared to flushing fire hydrants, saving utilities water and money.

3. Improves water quality

As we already explained in a previous section, an automatic flushing station can refresh a water line supply, meaning DBPs have less of a chance of forming. This is one of the ways in which automatic flushing equipment can improve water quality. 

But DBPs aren’t the only factor impacting the healthfulness of the water. Keeping safe residual levels is also an important factor in keeping water safe for consumers. Most states require a .2 ppm residual for free chlorine and a .5 ppm for combined chlorine. These minimum required levels ensure that the chlorine is strong enough the control the growth and spread of microbials that may find their way into the water system. So by using automatic flushing stations users can maintain safe residuals AND remove old water on a regular basis before DBPs form.

Additionally, discoloration can also be controlled by using automatic flushing stations. As water sits idle in older iron pipes (usually overnight) discoloration can occur. By programming automatic flushing station to turn the water line in the early morning hours this discoloration can be removed before customers begin to use the line.

4. Saves water

Your options other than a flushing station are going to use a whole lot more water than automatic flushing technology. The average flow from a fire hydrant is around 1500 gpm as opposed to an automatic flushing station that flushes anywhere from 20 -200 gpm. By flushing less water more often using an automatic flushing station, users can save about half as much flushed water compared to flushing fire hydrants. This saves water, labor time and, in turn, money and the environment. Automatic flushing stations are key in providing health benefits, which we’ve already detailed: The water quality improves when aging water is regularly flushed out.

5. Boosts efficiency

When you couple those water-saving benefits we just discussed with the time savings that automatic flushing stations can bring, you have a huge time efficiency boost on your hands. Let’s face it, new EPA water regulations continue to roll out, distribution systems continue grow and expand, and most water utilities are not overstaffed. Automatic flushing stations can help utilities address and accomplish more pressing issues rather than spend extra labor time on manually flushing fire hydrants. 

And as far as maintenance goes, automatic flushing stations only require a change of 9-volt batteries about once per year and occasionally cleaning out the valve if debris keeps it from closing properly.

6. More convenient 

Remember what we said about how hydrant flushing works? A crew goes around and releases water from the hydrant in a controlled manner, getting rid of all the old water. For someone to do this manually, that means it’s going to happen during daytime hours, when water is in high demand in the community. An automatic flushing station solves this issue. You can program it to run during the nighttime hours, when water demand is usually at its lowest level. That will alleviate some of the issues we highlighted earlier — namely, customers noticing discolored water or decreased water pressure.

Consolidated Utility District (CUD), located in Murfreesboro, TN, is a lare water System that encompasses over 13,000 miles of both urban and rural water lines throughout Rutherford County.

In early 2006, CUD received a notice of violation from the state of Tennessee for exceeding disinfection byproducts limits.  At that time, their flushing program consisted of two employees that would address problem areas as needed.  the process was time consuming and ineffective.  When CUD began receiving customer inquiries because of the required public notice regarding the violation, Assistant General Manager Bill Dunnill contacted The Kupferle Foundry Company located in St. Louis, MO, to search for a solution.  After consulting with CUD and assessing the problem, Kupferle suggested using the Eclipse Model #9700 portable automatic flushing device.  CUD ordered three units and began using them in the field.

Focusing on the most troublesome areas firs, CUD began to test the effectiveness of the 9700s, which attach directly to any fire hydrant.  Dunnill states that “CUD saw immediate…”

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