Hoover staff explain hydrant ownership and costs as council considers three new hydrants

Hoover City reviewed a resolution to authorize Central Alabama Water to install three fire hydrants on large estate lots and received an extended briefing on hydrant ownership, maintenance responsibilities and costs.

Chief Bentley told the council that the city operates across several water systems and distinguishes between private hydrants (installed behind a development's water meter and maintained by the developer or owner) and public hydrants (maintained annually by the fire department but repaired by the appropriate water utility). He said the city maintains about "1,480, give or take, public hydrants" and that Birmingham/Central Alabama Water Works charges the city a monthly rent per hydrant. Chief Bentley described the per-hydrant charge as about $21.81 per month and estimated that, when multiplied across systems and adjustments, the total is "in the neighborhood" of $375,000 annually for hydrant rental.

Council sought clarity on whether the three new hydrants would be public or private; Chief Bentley said Signature Homes, the developer, would install public hydrants to city standards and pay the first three years' rent before the city assumes responsibility. Council also asked about the color-coding of hydrant tops; Bentley said the city follows NFPA 291 flow-based color standards — for example, blue tops indicate flows over 1,500 gallons per minute and red indicates about 500 gallons per minute or less.

No formal vote was recorded during the work session; staff presented the contract as standard.