Pump & Storage Tank for Sprinklers & Hydrants?

8/6/2026

A project we're looking at has a hydrant network that connects to fire sprinkler systems and hydrants.

What would be the process we'd need to consider for the water supply (fire pump and tank capacities)?

How does the greatest sprinkler system demand (possibly with hose allowance) relate to the hydrant demand? Are they additive?

Not all buildings could have sprinkler systems in the future, so we're questioning the relationship between sprinklered building system demands and the fire hydrant demand.

Thanks for your input.

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6 Comments

anthony

8/6/2026 07:48:48 am

This sounds like campus development with a weak water supply. Short answer is the sprinkler demand is based on a single building and the hydrant demand come from fire flow.

Good article below:

https://www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-and-articles/blogs/2022/03/22/Calculating-the-Required-Fire-Flow

Note that article references NFPA-1 not IBC so make sure you have your references correct. I would also ensure that you work with large safety factors and get AHJ buy in.

Dan Wilder

8/6/2026 08:17:13 am

Is this all for one owner?
Any possibility for subdivision in the future?

If it's a total campus site Anthony provided the answer, but you will need to review projected building construction for the worst-case option to determine the fire flow and size from there. Don't plan on all Type IIA Office buildings and then want a Type IIIB Distribution warehouse in the future, unless the owner understands the impacts.

If there is a chance that this may get subdivided, understand that impact as most AHJ's do not allow private ownership of a fire pump that supplies an adjacent property owned by someone else, this may go for any water storage capacity as well.

IFC based calculator for reference (BETA)- https://www.meyerfire.com/fireflow02.html

Glenn Berger

8/6/2026 08:22:24 am

Concur with the previous response.

This project needs the services a Fire Protection Engineer or at a minimum a person with a current NICET Level III or IV certification in Water Based Systems.

Jack G

8/6/2026 08:52:03 am

NFPA 1 requires a combined flow ( sprinkler plus hose demand, be calculated for the hazard duration in NFPA 13 . Review the charts in 1 and 13.( total combined demand. )
Keep in mind a water supply to refill the tank in 8 hours is required and tanker truck refill does not count. ( 250 to 500 gpm is required for hose streams)
You must take into account " dead water" from the vortex plate down .( i usually size from the top of the pump supply pipe on the tank to the center line pump , down)
A safety factor is required ( i add 5% plus what is overage from the dead water calculation)
Refill rate can be factored in if a permanent water supply is instslled to refill the tank is simultaneously activated.
A prudent design would include a " draft hydrant" at the tank for a pumper truck ) as a fire dept tanker truck might only add about 6 minutes of supply or less )

Dave L.

8/6/2026 10:45:05 am

We have a fire pump / water storage tank project in the middle of nowhere where the AHJ is allowing us to use the Fire Flow calculation method in NFPA 1142 (Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Firefighting). Despite this jurisdiction's minimum Fire Flow requirement.

Nimal Tissa Wijetunga

8/7/2026 07:58:08 am

Is this for High rise building or any other occupation?

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Pump & Storage Tank for Sprinklers & Hydrants?

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