Plymouth Paints Hydrants Different Colors for Specific Reasons
(PLYMOUTH NEWS) – While the City of Plymouth routinely conducts painting and maintenance to extend the life of equipment and infrastructure, community members traveling through Plymouth may have noticed changes to the appearance of some of the city’s fire hydrants. Below is a recap and explanation as to why some hydrants recently received a makeover.
The city wraps hydrants along high-traffic roadways to prevent damage from salt and sand during winter months. The plastic helps extend the life of a hydrant and is easily removed when access is needed.
Yellow hydrants with blue caps–signifying the unit needs to be flushed after every use–are just one variety of color Plymouth paints it hydrants.
While there is no federally mandated standard, Plymouth’s regular fire hydrants are painted chrome yellow because it’s the color recommended for municipalities by the National Fire Protection Association. The color allows firefighters to quickly identify hydrants with adequate pressure. Plymouth follows NFPAguidelines to ensure consistency and reliability.
Some fire hydrants have been painted a new color – olive green. These hydrants are “raw water” hydrants, which deliver untreated, low-pressure water. While these hydrants were previously identified by collars, the change to olive green helps enhance public safety (low-pressure hydrants are not used for fighting fires) and provides a more effective visual indicator for personnel who work with the water supply system.
The NFPA doesn’t have a systematic color for raw water hydrants, so the Plymouth Utilities Division selected olive green because it’s the color used for raw water pipes at the city’s water treatment facilities, which is industry standard.
Some hydrants have specific colors or features that convey additional information:
• Green operating nuts: Identify private hydrants.
• Red hydrants: Some Plymouth businesses have private hydrants that are not connected to the city’s water system.
• Blue nozzle caps: Indicate “pumper” hydrants, which require water to be pumped out manually after use to prevent freezing or damage.
This color-coded system allows city crews and firefighters to quickly assess hydrant functionality during emergencies.
For more information about fire hydrants in Plymouth, call the Utilities Division at 763-509-5950.
