Sprinkler Protection in Water Storage Room?

6/2/2020

I have a new highrise building with a water storage tank/room for the fire sprinkler system. The entire room is the storage area.

Is sprinkler coverage required for this room?

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11 Comments

Thomas Reinhardt

6/2/2020 10:23:14 am

Yes

AB link

6/2/2020 10:50:19 am

NFPA 13, 2019 1.3.2 Level of Protection. A building, where protected by an automatic sprinkler system installation, shall be provided with sprinklers in all areas except where specific sections of this standard permit the omission of sprinklers.

I am unaware of a specific section of the standard that permits the omission of sprinklers from storage rooms used in this application.

Mike M

6/2/2020 11:46:34 am

Agree with AB.

James Phifer

6/2/2020 10:58:18 am

From NFPA 20: 2016 edition:
4.13.1.3 Fire Pump Buildings or Rooms with Diesel Engines.
Fire pump buildings or rooms enclosing diesel engine pump
drivers and day tanks shall be protected with an automatic
sprinkler system installed in accordance with NFPA 13 as an
Extra Hazard Group 2 occupancy.

4.13.1.4 Fire Pump Buildings or Rooms with Electric Drivers.
For buildings that are required to be sprinklered, fire pump buildings or rooms enclosing electric fire pump drivers shall be
protected with an automatic sprinkler system installed in
accordance with NFPA 13 as an Ordinary Hazard Group 1
occupancy.

Franck

6/2/2020 01:28:55 pm

If you have water tank + fire pump, you need to protect the room because of the fire pump. If the room only houses the water tank and it is of non combustible construction (no insulation), I don’t see any reason for fire protection
No need to protect water with water :)

James Phifer

6/2/2020 01:53:45 pm

True. But the basic premise of NFPA 13 is to sprinkler the entire building, except where omissions are allowed. To my knowledge, there is no exception that would allow an omission in a water storage tank room.

Mike L

6/2/2020 03:59:59 pm

Building codes stipulate where Sprinkler systems are required. NFPA-13 stipulates how they are to be installed.

IBC Section 903.3.1.1. states that where a sprinkler system is required, it shall be installed throughout with some limited exceptions. Most of the exceptions are in areas where the contents of the space don't react well with water.

Jonathan Joseph

6/2/2020 04:29:35 pm

To define this topic.

Is this tank underground with a latch and the compartment is only water storage? No sprinklers

Or this tank is in a compartmented room with a door and you can physically walk around the tank? Needs Sprinklers.

Grant

6/3/2020 11:12:38 am

It's a room within the building that acts as a storage tank.

Mark H

6/2/2020 04:33:49 pm

I agree with comments above that you need sprinkler protection in the fire pump room or any room in a high rise with the exceptions noted. But if you are talking about a separate poured concrete reservoir built into the concrete foundation built to provide flooded suction to your fire pump with limited access (no door to a "room" just an inspection / service access panel above water level so a non combustible confined space) I would review with AHJ ?

Franck

6/3/2020 11:08:02 am

I don't see any requirement in NFPA 20, nor in NFPA 22, to provide sprinkler protection for the water tank.

If the room houses only the water tank, there is no reason, even with NFPA 13, to provide a sprinkler protection.

If you apply NFPA 13, you have to protect areas that requires a protection because of a possible combustible load.

You would not protect, for example, a non combustible building housing only metal parts with no packaging, no wood, no any possible combustible load and without any accumulation of cables, electrical cabinets...
The other exception is if water create more damages such as with pyrophoric metals.

In the case of a water tank, I don't see anything representing a fire load.
The only exception I foresee is if the room is big enough to allow other possible combustible storage (even temporary, as temporary may become definitive...), or if the water tank itself is combustible (plastic).

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