Fire Hydrant testing allows developers and contractors request assistance in operating a public hydrant for fire flow testing to gather data for designing fire sprinkler systems and determining required water flow for a building.
Before you begin
The City of Ottawa Water Distribution crew is only responsible for the operation of the hydrant and does not provide any testing equipment. It is the responsibility of the Fire Protection Consultant to provide all testing equipment, including a diffuser and a gate flow control valve for each nozzle to be used. The equipment must be compatible with the City of Ottawa hydrant hose nozzle thread – pitch diameter 2.99”. Failure to meet the requirements above will result in the missed appointment charge.
The Fire Protection Consultant is solely responsible for conducting and recording necessary measurements and preparing any and all related flow/pressure calculations. Any damage caused by the discharge of water is the responsibility of the Fire Protection Consultant.
What you need
Applicants are required to provide the following:
- Hydrant ID number
- If you’re unsure what the Hydrant ID is, please refer to the Water and Wastewater Infrastructure map.
- The contractor is responsible for all on site Health and Safety measures as well as traffic set up requirements per the Ontario Traffic Manual - Book #7 Tempora – Publications Ontario (gov.on.ca)(link is external). Failure to meet the above requirements will result in a missed appointment charge.
Cost and timelines
Cost
2025 Fire flow test price: Cost (hourly) plus 15 % administration fee
This fee is non-refundable once the service has been provided.
Timeline
A minimum of 2 business days is required to coordinate the scheduled work.
The City does not guarantee a time or date of operation.
The date and time requested is tentative and dependent on the availability of the Water Distribution crews on duty, you will be notified of any changes.
Appointments are available from April 1 to October 31 weather dependent, Monday through Friday, between 8 am to 2:30 pm. Multiple appointments should be booked at 1-hour intervals.