There is a need in both the military and public sectors to upgrade existing, older-generation fire hydrants with a new-generation system which is corrosion-resistant and also helps to prevent deliberate injection of chemical/biological contaminants into the drinking water systems. Unfortunately, it is very common for many hydrants to be internally severely corroded enough that they will not operate at a critical time—during a fire. This inoperability is caused by corrosion of the older cold-rolled steel stems to such an extent that the fire fighter is unable to open the hydrant’s water valve. As part of the Army and Department of Defense (DOD) Corrosion Program, 90 older-generation corroded (and difficult to open) fire hydrants of various brand names, models, and vintages have been upgraded with a new-generation retrofit system at a major Army installation. The innovative, but off-the-shelf product requires no expensive excavation and promises to be reliable, economical, and corrosion-resistant since the main component is manufactured of series 304 stainless steel. A demonstration and evaluation project is underway and will conclude in March 2012.

Subject
Corrosion prevention, Corrosion failures, Water, Materials, Valves, Installation, Steel, Equipment, Rust, Stainless steel, Maintenance, Brass, Potable water
Keywords:
fire hydrant, corrosion-resistant, water security
© 2011 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2011
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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