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PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT <br />Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Director <br />Engineering / Erosion <br />Control / Stormwater <br />(919) 245-2575 <br />(919) 644-3002 (FAX) <br />www.orangecountync.gov <br />131 W. Margaret Lane <br />Suite 201 <br />P. O. Box 8181 <br />Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br /> <br /> <br />S:\12_Engineering\Engineering Review\Harts Mill Minor Sub\HWF-OC-Eng_DAC-Memo(Harts Mill)08-18-15.doc <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br /> TO: Michael Harvey <br /> COPY TO: Patrick Mallett, Jason Shepherd, Craig Benedict & Kevin Lindley, PE <br /> FROM: Howard W. Fleming, Jr., PE, Engineering/Stormwater Supervisor <br /> DATE: 08/18/15 <br /> PROJECT: Harts Mill: Major Subdivision <br /> SUBJECT: Rezoning to Major Planning Development (MPD-CZ) <br />DAC-Review, 05/07/15 <br />Proposed On-Site Water System / Adequacy for Fire Protection <br /> <br />ENGINEERING COMMENTS: <br />Stormwater review was covered in a separate memorandum dated 05/12/15. <br /> <br />Engineering has reviewed the subject project for adequacy of the fire protection <br />infrastructure and spoken with the Orange County Fire Marshal, Jason Shepherd. It is our <br />understanding from plans submitted, dated 05/13/15, that the project proposes a 6” on-site <br />private water line, supplying three (3) on-site fire hydrants. This water system must comply <br />with the NC State Fire Code, adopted and published jointly by The North Carolina Building <br />Code Council and The North Carolina Department of Insurance. In that code it references <br />compliance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 24 for the design of <br />on-site fire protection systems. <br /> <br />From http://www.nfpa.org/about-nfpa: Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit <br />organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, <br />electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through <br />more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and <br />advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA <br />mission. <br /> <br />NFPA 24 does not currently require a line size greater than 6” for private service mains <br />supplying private fire hydrants. There is a proposed pending revision (First Revision No. <br />15-NFPA 24-2013 [Chapter 5]) that would modify paragraph 5.2.1 to read as follows: <br />Hydraulic calculations shall show that the main is able to supply the total demand at the <br />appropriate pressure for systems with multiple fire hydrants. Orange County Engineering <br />concurs with this pending revision and looks forward to its adoption. It is the general <br />recommendation of the Orange County Engineering staff that on-site private service <br />mains supplying multiple fire hydrants be no less than 8” in diameter, unless <br />engineering calculations can demonstrate otherwise. Such an engineering standard is <br />not yet part of the Orange County Unified Development Ordinance. <br />32