This document is intended to provide general information about water supply requirements that are applied to new construction projects within the unincorporated areas of Stanislaus County.  Fire flow and water supply requirements are found in Section 508, Appendix B and Appendix C of the California Fire Code.  Fire Flow Requirements are applied to development in areas with municipal water systems; On-Site Water Requirements are applied to areas without municipal water systems.  Contact the Office of the Fire Marshal or your local fire department if you have questions or need additional information.

Fire Flow Requirements (areas with municipal water systems)

For one and two family dwellings up to 3,600 square feet a minimum of 1,000 gpm for two hours is required.  This flow may be reduced up to 50% if building has an approved automatic fire sprinkler system.  At least one fire hydrant is required to be on an approved fire access roadway within 600 feet of all points of the structure.

Use the following table for all other structures:

Minimum Required Fire Flow and Flow Duration

Refer to CFC Appendix B for larger structures.  This flow may be reduced up to 75% if building has an approved automatic fire sprinkler system, however the required flow shall not be less than 1500 gpm.

Fire Hydrants shall meet the following requirements:

Number and Distribution of Fire Hydrants

Refer to CFC Appendix C for buildings with larger fire flows.

On-Site Water Requirements (areas without municipal water systems)

An approved on-site water supply for fire suppression is required for many new projects located in rural areas where municipal water systems do not exist.  This water supply must be accessible from an approved access roadway that is at least 20’ wide with a vertical clearance of 13’6”.  On-site water supplies may include tanks, cisterns, swimming pools, and ponds, but must be accessible and available year around.  A dry fire hydrant or other approved access must be located not less than 50’ or more than 150’ from the building being protected.  Structures requiring less than 5,000 gallons, pole barns, and one and two family residences equipped with approved automatic sprinkler systems may be granted an exemption from providing on-site storage.  Required on-site water supplies for other structures equipped with automatic fire sprinkler systems may be reduced by up to 75%.

Because of the expense that may be associated with providing an approved water supply it is strongly recommended that the proposed water supply be approved by the fire prevention bureau and local fire department prior to submitting plans.

                                             Volume of structure (in cubic feet)
Gallons of on-site water =     ----------------------------------------------   X  Construction Classification
                                            Occupancy Hazard Classification

Volume of Structure = Total volume of structure in cubic feet

Occupancy Hazard Classification

• 3 for severe hazard uses such as hay storage, wood storage and manufacturing
• 4 for high hazard uses such as feed stores, repair garages, warehouses and stores
• 5 for moderate hazard uses such as farm storage, restaurants, and unoccupied buildings
• 6 for low hazard uses such as churches, offices, service stations, stables
• 7 for light hazard uses such as homes, schools, offices

Construction Classification

• Type II (metal) = .075
• Type V (wood and wood frame) = 1.5

The required water supply may be increased by up to 50% for structures with exposure buildings located within 50 feet.