Irvine Ranch Water District keeps watch to respond to fires and any corresponding loss of power in our service area, patrolling canyon areas and monitoring remote operations. It’s our job to ensure that facilities are protected and that water continues to be delivered to your tap and made available to firefighters battling blazes.
Fire hydrants
There are about 20,000 IRWD-owned fire hydrants stationed throughout the District’s service area. These fire hydrants and the water distributed from them provide a reliable source of fire protection expected by our customers.
IRWD, like other water suppliers in Orange County, owns and maintains these hydrants to aid the Orange County Fire Authority and other firefighting entities in extinguishing fires that threaten the properties we serve.
The hydrants are also used by the District for water system operations and maintenance.
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How does IRWD prepare its water system for fires?
- Monitoring: Staff watches local weather patterns and conditions that heighten risk, such as low relative humidity, strong winds, dry fuels, the possibility of lightning strikes, and more. Our facilities are routinely inspected.
- Water supply: We top off water storage tanks and reservoirs when the risk of fire is high. These tanks use gravity to deliver water to communities at lower elevations.
- Reservoirs: Irvine Lake and IRWD’s other open reservoirs are used by fire authorities to draw water for fighting wildfires with fixed-wing and rotorcraft air attacks. Local firefighters and emergency response teams also use our reservoirs to practice these maneuvers.
- Power: Permanent generators at pumping stations keep the water flowing to the tanks during power outages. Portable generators can be brought in as needed during long-term outages.
- Maintenance: IRWD actively maintains all hydrants in its system. This includes continuous upkeep, such as testing hydrants and painting them regularly, and replacing any malfunctioning hydrants as quickly as possible.
- Communication: We maintain steady communication with other agencies and first responders to make sure hazardous conditions are addressed before problems strike.
What can I do to prepare for the risk of wildfires?
IRWD customers living in the foothill and canyon areas can help to protect their homes by taking the following actions:
- Create a safety zone around your home by removing dead or dying vegetation.
- Plant drought-tolerant and fire-resistant plants that can serve as a firebreak near your home (e.g., monkeyflower, California lilac, autumn sage, common yarrow, or French lavender).
- Prepare an emergency escape plan with your family that includes how to respond to any evacuation order.
- Visit ready.gov/wildfires for more tips and precautions.
Fire hydrants FAQs
Hydrants are designed and installed during the development process in close proximity to properties that intend to connect to the District’s water system.
Like virtually all public water systems in the country, the location, water flow, and size of hydrants are dictated by standards set by local fire authorities. These standards provide the water needed to protect life and property in areas served by the water district.
For most of IRWD’s service area, the Orange County Fire Authority sets the development standards for the hydrants. IRWD, after coordinating with OCFA on the applicable standards, oversees the construction of the designated size, location, and number of hydrants for a development within the District’s service area.
Hydrants are sized and positioned to provide the water flow needed for firefighters to extinguish fires that might directly threaten property near the hydrant. Hydrant systems are not intended or designed to fight large wildfires or brush fires.
No person or entity other than the local fire authority or water district personnel should tamper in any way with a fire hydrant. IRWD may issue water meters to third parties for construction and other projects, but any other use of water from hydrants is not authorized.
Fire hydrants are also used by water agencies for water system operations and maintenance, allowing for:
- The occasional flushing of water pipelines to remove minerals and sedimentary buildup.
- The testing of the proper operation of the hydrant and its available flow.
- The testing of water quality where sampling stations are unavailable.
Public safety power shutoffs
When Southern California Edison calls a public safety power shutoff and turns off power in high-risk areas, IRWD is ready to continue operating.
