CRNG wrote, on Fri, 04 Jul 2014 03:23:39 -0500:
It's California. Water is expensive.
This is what a wetter part of the local lake looked like today on a hike with the neighbors:
The good news is that there is still *some* water, but, it's not a lot. And a lake is presumed to be reflective of the water table, I think.
How many trips at that cost? Seems like it is getting pricey.
TomR wrote, on Fri, 04 Jul 2014 13:19:45 -0400:
The fire department, while they *replace* water used, doesn't *deliver* water, they told me.
Ed Pawlowski wrote, on Sat, 05 Jul 2014 08:37:15 -0400:
If we buy bulk water, the cheapest we've found is $225 to $250 for 3,800 gallons in a stainless steel truck.
If we buy water from the SJWC, the water is practically free, but we need to factor in round trips of the borrowed truck and rental of the water meter.
At 10 miles round trip for every (nominal) 500 gallons, it would take only 20 miles to fill 1,000 gallons, so it would be 100 miles to fill a full 5,000 gallon tank (if the resident were the furthest from the hydrant).
100 miles, at, say, 10 mpg is 10 gallons of gas, which is about $40 to $50 in gasoline. Add a case of beer (at the very least) to the truck owner.trader_4 wrote, on Fri, 04 Jul 2014 09:13:51 -0700:
By way of comparison, here are some shots of the neighbor's water tank systems.
Mine seems to be unique in not having a spare tank or two for the fire department.
Here is a four-tank setup, for a very old house, built sometime in the sixties, which also seems to have an unearthed but empty underground steel tank.
Here is a three-tank setup, with, oddly, the wharf hydrant *above* the bottom of the water tank (the only one set up that way that I know of):
And, here's a steel tank setup, mine being the only other steel tanks, which has that curious set of swirls on the side of the middle tank, just like mine does!
What do you think is causing these huge semicircular swirls?
DannyD. posted for all of us...
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The tank MUST have baffles. I think the pickup truck is an overly rated solution. Most pickups are bought with commuting and occasional work in mind. Not heavy duty. Beware.
Can the water district, emergency management or other gov't agency help? How about the vineyards? In your case it would most likely be fruitless to file suit on the vineyard.
Probably the best solution for you is to have a deeper well drilled. Maybe the company that is doing your neighbors well(s) would be less expensive because they are are doing jobs in the same area. You know, deep down, that you will run out of water at the worse time and the drillers will be busy. I would address it before it becomes a crisis.
i wish I could be more encouraging...
DannyD. posted for all of us...
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As i posted before; good luck with that...
DannyD. posted for all of us...
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You aren't going to coast in neutral downhill, most places is illegal, you will will burn out the brakes and have a runaway truck. A fuel injected engine is programmed to cut the injectors off; so no fuel is used. A diesel will have a jake brake (on heavy duty trucks).
Do not take any advice from Stumpy!
DannyD. posted for all of us...
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Stumped got to you... Dry hydrants are like you describe, are designed to use a farmers pond to provide water for firefighting purposes. It must use the pumps suction to work. I was not familiar with "wharf hydrant" until you used it. If my logic is correct it is basically a drain from the the tank to the hydrant and is a gravity feed. From your pix I would "exercise" the hydrant at least once a year. Not now since water is in short supply. You could pose this question to the fire district.
You will not get potable water in return for ff use. Trust me on this. Only if provided by emergency management in a tanker so marked.
Gordon Shumway posted for all of us...
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This is true. Back in my ff days we had boards with the different adapters used. It all depended on which the water company used. Sometimes even the fire truck manufacturers would have their own threads!
The correct term was "dry barrel hydrant", not "dry pipe hydrant".
TomR posted for all of us...
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It depends on what the fire co buys but 1000 is about the typical max on a pumper. Got have room and suspension for a pump, hose and all sorts of stuff in which the list keeps growing.
I would not drink that water, it is not potable. The OP is 5 miles from a hydrant 7 uphill. LOT of hose and a LOT of pressure involved.
trader_4 posted for all of us...
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+1 He is in bad spot.
It's been twenty or so years since I was a volunteer FF, some of the memory fades. Thanks.
oh, to answer your question, there are plenty of both types in this area, where there is no real danger of freezing. I thought the reason for the dry barrel hydrants around here was so that when some nitwit knocks one over with his car, there wouldn't be a geyser.
Who can tell? Might be just as you say. In NYS, we have a frost line three or so feet below ground, so we need the dry barrel hydrants.
maybe some city hall guy came from NYS and only knows one way to do things.
Your best source might be one of your neighbors, or maybe you, that has a deep well. Good location. San Jose may take their water out of the bay now, but in the past they surely used a well. Take your water from the same place San Jose does/did, at a lower price.
Hul
DannyD. wrote:
San Jose does not drink bay water.
You mean I've been misinformed all this time?
Don't take any advice from Tekkie!
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