Blue

ribbons have always denoted the best. Now blue

fire hydrants are rated tops based on their pipe

size and water pressure.

Passersby

and poodles alike have done a doubletake when

they spot the shiny blue hydrants along Peachtree

Parkway in Peachtree City.

profusion of colors will now adorn the city's

fire hydrants as the Fire Department color codes

some 2,000 hydrants to comply with updated safety

specifications set by the National Fire

Protection Association.

Other

colors include traditional red, safety orange and

safety green.

According

to Peachtree City's acting fire chief Stony Lohr,

all the hydrants must be pressure tested prior to

being painted. Once the amount of water pressure

is determined in gallons per minute, firemen

classify the hydrant's water main, the pipe that

runs beneath the ground to the hydrant, which can

range from six inches to 12 inches.

The

result can mean a better safety rating for the

city's department and ultimately better insurance

rates for Peachtree City homeowners, Lohr

explained.

Approximately

70 percent of the city's fire hydrants will

remain red but may feature a different color cap.

The following figures determine the color based

on water pressure: red hydrant caps pump less

than 500 gallons per minute, orange hydrants pump

500-999 gallons per minute, green hydrants pump

1,000-1,499 gallons per minute and blue hydrants

pump greater than 1,500 gallons per minute.

The

colors also correspond in range of main sizes

from smallest to largest with the six-inch main

designated red, the eight-inch main orange; the

10-inch green and the 12-inch blue.

The

repainting project has just begun and Lohr said

he anticipates completion in summer.

Twice-per-year pressure tests will continue after

the hydrants are color-coded.

The

spray painting takes less than five minutes, and

it's estimated that the crew can complete 20 to

30 a day, depending upon the number of fire and

paramedic calls that take them away from the job.

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