Study
finds no design issues or significant cost issues.
A
study by the National Fire Protection Association found that residential fire
sprinklers can easily be integrated with local water supply systems. “
Integration of Residential Sprinklers with Water Supply Systems”
(PDF, 842 kb) was conducted by Newport Partners of Maryland and
looked at detailed information for 20 U.S. communities with a residential sprinkler
ordinance and concluded that water supply integration requirements have been
put into place, “and there are no examples of insurmountable problems or issues,”
NFPA reports.
“This is
another critical piece of substantiation against the myths that abound about
home fire sprinklers,” stated
Jim Shannon, NFPA president.
“It is simply not true that sprinklers cannot be integrated with public water
supply or significantly adds to cost. What is true is that home fire sprinklers
save lives and should be required in new construction of one- and two-family
homes.”
Residential fire sprinklers remain
a fairly recent development in the studied communities (average ordinance age
is about three years). However the report found that water supply integration
requirements have been put into place, and there were no examples of
insurmountable problems or issues. Neither design problems nor significant
added costs were found in the communities surveyed.
Additional
findings included:
- Nearby communities, such as those in the
same state, generally adopt consistent provisions on issues such as water
metering requirements, making compliance more uniform and predictable.
- More
unusual design requirements, such as dual water service lines or dual water
meters, are rare and typically driven by a local issue, which would not apply
in most other areas
- In more than half of the
communities, no cost impact resulted from sprinkler-induced changes to water
meter size, the need for additional water meters or changes to tap size. These
communities also did not have higher monthly service fees from the water
supplier for homes with sprinklers. (In those communities where one or more of
these factors did add cost, the average added cost was about $400.)
- Administrative
issues such as concerns about water shut-off and larger, less accurate meters
are not viewed as significant issues. In those communities where system
inspections are required, communities are adopting a variety of practical
strategies.
Overall, NFPA concluded, water suppliers,
building departments and fire service have developed practical approaches to
accommodate both home fire sprinklers and the local water supply.
A copy of the full report may be found at
www.firesprinklerinitiative.org.
Source:
NFPALinks
