Hydrant Permits

Procedure

If the need for hydrant use arises, follow these steps to acquire a Fire Hydrant Permit:

1. Designate the location where the hydrant(s) that will need to be permitted.
   1. Identify the hydrant location as precisely as possible.
      1. Drop a pin on a digital map at the location of the hydrant you are requesting to be permitted. Be as exact with the pin drop as possible, as there may be multiple hydrants in one area.
      2. Take a screenshot of the map with surrounding streets visible in .jpg format, to provide a reference of the location. Do not send an image of the hydrant from Street View. (See Hydrant Designation for Permit.)
      3. Supplement the screenshot with a description of the hydrant location relative to the nearest address or intersection.
         Examples:
         • “Southeast corner of Thompson and Mascher.”
         • “The hydrant is on the east side of the 300 block of Broad Street, 75 feet from Chestnut and/or in front of 325 S. Broad Street.”
           Hydrants in the center of a block should be denoted by direction and a rough estimate from another reference street.
2. Complete the Fire Hydrant Permit application. There are two permit options: 1 week and 6 months.
3. Submit permit application worksheet by email to Joe Yeager in the Philadelphia Water Department’s Water Conveyance team at joseph.yeager@phila.gov, attaching the .jpeg of the hydrant location described in Step 1.
4. After submitting the permit application, the hydraulic conditions will be examined at the identified location and the permit will either be approved or denied by the Philadelphia Water Department.
5. If conditionally approved, PWD will furnish a list of approved backflow prevention equipment. The permit requires the use of a backflow prevention device when connecting to the hydrant.
6. Once the backflow equipment is procured, take a timestamped digital photograph of the equipment, then submit the photo with the hydrant permit application. No permit will be issued without proof that the permittee has acquired the proper backflow prevention equipment.
7. Pick up the permit in the basement of the Municipal Services Building (MSB) Permitting Section, found on the concourse level of 1401 John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
   Rates for each permit option are set by the Philadelphia Water, Sewer, and Storm Water Rate Board on an annual basis.
   Permits for community gardens are exempt from Hydrant Opening Permit fees and span the length of a growing season, which necessitates the 6-month permit duration. Only two 6-month permit increments are allowed at any one time.
   When picking up your permit, include a copy of the receipt or the physical proof for your backflow preventer (e.g., a cellphone photo of the assembly). A permit will not be issued without proof of the necessary backflow preventer.
8. Once the approved permit is issued, if the hydrant has a Center Compression Lock (CCL), the cap will be replaced by a standard non-locking cap. If the cap is not replaced in a timely fashion, please contact Joe Yeager at joseph.yeager@phila.gov.