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Fire Flow for Public Utilities

A city of a designated size that has a public utility within its jurisdiction must have a fire hydrant and fire flow ordinance. For a city with a water supply corporation within its jurisdiction, a fire flow ordinance is optional.

In a city of a designated size with a public (investor-owned) utility within its jurisdiction (an affected city), the utility must provide enough water to ensure that any fire hydrant in a residential area can produce sufficient flow for fire suppression. For this requirement, “fire flow” is defined as a fire hydrant’s ability to deliver a flow of at least 250 gallons per minute continuously, for a minimum of two hours, while maintaining a minimum pressure of 20 pounds per square inch (psi) throughout the distribution system.  These fire flow standards must be maintained in addition to the public utility's maximum daily demand.

This determination is based on the city’s population in the most recent Census and in some cases, the county where the city is located. The following table lists the population criteria and cities that are currently required to have a fire flow and fire hydrant ordinance based on the 2020 US Census. Also see more detailed guidelines in Fire Flow: Public Safety Standards for Utilities and Cities, RG-638.

City Population Criteria Location in at Least One County With This Population Criteria Cities Meeting Criteria*
Greater than 1,000,000 (with a public utility within its corporate limits)  None Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio
Between 36,000 and 41,000 Greater than 1.8 million None
Between 7,000 and 30,000 Between 155,000 and 180,000 Azle, Fair Oaks Ranch, Forney, Heath, Mineral Wells, Seagoville, Seguin, Selma, Terrell, Universal City
Between 11,000 and 18,000 Between 125,000 and 230,000 Azle, Canyon, Glenn Heights, Mineral Wells, Red Oak, Terrell

*Note: cities may meet more than one set of population criteria.

TCEQ will require additional capacity for water systems that must provide fire flow. See our Forms and Checklists webpage for the Water Storage Tank Construction Checklist, PDF/ Word, which has been modified to include these requirements.

Affected cities must comply with these regulations within one year of the date the rule first applies to your system based on population criteria, as established in the most recent US Census.

If your utility is in an affected city, determine if that city has adopted such an ordinance.

If the city does not have an ordinance, you must determine whether the current standards for fire flow and fire hydrants in residential areas meet these standards. (See Fire Flow Definition and Standards above).

Whether or not the city has an ordinance, a public utility in a residential area of an affected city must also meet fire flow capacity requirements within one year of the date the rule first applied to your system (i.e., within one year of the most recent US Census).

If you need assistance complying with these requirements, TCEQ’s Financial Managerial and Technical Assistance program (FMT) is available to help you. See the FMT webpage for more information. 

You can find the rules for fire flow and fire hydrants in Title 30, Texas Administrative Code (30 TAC), Subsection 290.46(x) and (y). 

30 TAC 290.46(x) Public Safety Standards 30 TAC 290.46(y) Fire Hydrant Flow Standards

Applicability:

This section only applies to a municipality that meets the population criteria listed in the table above, based on the most recent federal decennial census. A city may meet more than one set of criteria.

Applicability:

This section applies to any municipality that does not meet the population criteria established in 30 TAC Subsection 290.46(x). Such a municipality is allowed - but not mandated - to adopt standards set by TCEQ requiring a utility within its jurisdictional boundary to maintain a minimum sufficient water flow and pressure to fire hydrants in residential areas.

 If a public utility violates an ordinance adopted according to this Subsection, TCEQ will require the utility to comply.

Any affected municipality must:

  • Adopt an ordinance with standards for installing fire hydrants and maintaining sufficient water pressure for service to fire hydrants in residential areas within the municipality’s jurisdiction.
  • Follow current AWWA standards for fire hydrants and the requirements for location of fire hydrants, specified in 30 TAC Subsection 290.44(e)(6).
  • Establish a fire hydrant flow standard of 250 gallons per minute for a minimum period of two hours while maintaining a minimum pressure of 20 psi throughout the distribution system during emergencies such as firefighting.
  • Adopt the standards within one year of the date the population requirement applies to the municipality.
May prohibit a public utility from recovering – through the public utility’s rates – a penalty or fine incurred for a violation of the standards.

To assure TCEQ participation, a municipality must: 

  • Require by ordinance that a utility must maintain the fire hydrant flow standard in fire hydrants in a residential area within the municipality or the municipality’s ETJ.
  • Submit a signed copy of the ordinance to TCEQ within 60 days of adoption.
  • If the ordinance’s standard exceeds TCEQ’s minimum standards, base the standard on:
    • the density of connections
    • service demands
    • other relevant factors
  • Do not require another utility in the municipality or the municipality’s ETJ to provide water flow and pressure in a fire hydrant greater than that provided by the municipal utility or the fire hydrant flow standard.
  • Do not require a utility to build, retrofit, or improve infrastructure in existence at the time the ordinance is adopted.

A municipality with a population of less than 1.9 million that adopts standards or uses a utility’s water for emergency fire suppression must:

  • Enter into a written memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the utility. The MOU must provide for both of the following:
    • The necessary testing of fire hydrants.
    • Other relevant issues pertaining to the use of the water and maintenance of the fire hydrants.
  • Submit a signed copy of the MOU to TCEQ within 60 days of approval.

Note: A municipality may notify TCEQ of a utility’s noncompliance with a standard adopted by their ordinance. TCEQ will then provide a reasonable compliance date to the utility.

Public utilities must:

  • Comply with the ordinance or standards established by a municipality within one year of the date they first apply to the public utility.
  • If a municipality has not adopted an ordinance or standard, comply with the current AWWA fire hydrant standards and the fire hydrant flow standard within one year of the date the requirements first apply to the public utility.
  • Deliver water that meets the fire hydrant flow standard to any fire hydrant connected to the public utility’s water system in a residential area.
If applying for an Alternative Capacity Requirement, demonstrate that approval will not hinder compliance with the fire hydrant flow standards.

Utilities must: 

  • Comply with the ordinance or standards established by the municipality.
  • Comply with the MOU.
Deliver water that meets the fire hydrant flow standard to any fire hydrant connected to the utility's water system in a residential area or industrial district.

TCEQ Requirements:

Requirements not in 30 TAC Subsection 290.46(x) are in Texas Health and Safety Code Section 341.0358(c) – (f). If a municipality does not pass an ordinance, TCEQ will serve as the regulatory authority and:

  • Enforce the Fire Hydrant Flow and Installation Standards in 30 TAC Subsection 290.46(x).
  • Require a public utility in violation of the standards in place to comply within a reasonable time. 

If the municipality is the regulatory authority TCEQ will:

  • Assess residential areas in applicable municipalities to ensure that: 
    • The municipality has adopted the standards for installing fire hydrants and maintaining sufficient water pressure for service to them.
    • All public utilities serving the residential area within the municipalities' jurisdiction are complying with the standards.
  • Require the municipalities to make appropriate revisions to standards that are inadequate.