District and Fire Department regulations require that fire hydrants have a minimum clearance of 3 feet on all sides of the hydrant.
Although the fire department has detailed information on the location of district hydrants, it can be difficult to locate and connect to a hydrant in an emergency if a hydrant is covered by bushes, trees, trash, decorative walls and other forms of landscaping.
Please do not park in front of hydrants.
If you have a fire hydrant located on your property, the District and fire department requests your assistance in maintaining the required clearance. Please keep bushes, trees and landscape plants trimmed and remove any obstructions from around the hydrant. The district and fire department must be able to easily connect hoses and equipment to hydrants during routine maintenance and emergency situations. In the event of a fire, every second counts!
Pictured below are “unacceptable clearance” (bottom left) and “acceptable clearance” (bottom right) examples. If you have any questions or concerns about the above restrictions, contact the District office at info@swmetrowater.org or 303-979-2333.
Permits are required to use district fire hydrants.
Withdrawal of water from a district owned fire hydrant, except for an emergency, requires a permit from the district. The permit specifies when the hydrant may be used, as well as how it must be operated to prevent damage to the hydrant and prevent potential contamination to the district’s water system.
The district assesses fees to cover administrative and inspection costs associated with processing the permit. In addition, a damage deposit is collected which is refunded at the expiration of the permit if the hydrant is not damaged and the Hydrant Use Permit sign is returned.
Recipients of permits are required to use approved backflow prevention devices to ensure the safety of the district’s water supply. Users are also required to meter all usage and pay Denver Water directly for all water withdrawn. All permitted users of district fire hydrants are required to display a Hydrant Use Permit sign when withdrawing water from district facilities.
District customers can be very helpful in monitoring the safety and reliability of the district’s water supply by detecting and reporting unauthorized fire hydrant use. If you see someone using a fire hydrant without displaying a permit tag (as pictured), please contact the district office at 303-979-2333.