Fire Hydrant Colors

As you move about the city and travel to different communities, you may have noticed that all fire hydrants are not the same color. The difference in colors is not for aesthetics or curb appeal but for hydrant flows for firefighting purposes. The colors denote how much water a particular hydrant can provide in gallons per minute (GPM). This gives firefighters an immediate visual indication of available hydrant flow and quick decisions as to which hydrant to access.

The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends that fire departments and water districts follow a standard of color-coding to make it easier to identify hydrant supply performance. According to the standards, the hydrant body (barrel) should be chrome yellow unless the jurisdiction has adopted a different color (white, chrome silver or lime-yellow). The top (bonnet) and nozzle caps (discharges) should be color-coded to indicate hydrant flow. Jackson Energy Authority hydrants follow the recommended NFPA Color Coding for flow and the adopted chrome silver for hydrant body color.

Flow (gallons per minute)	Hydrant Image	Top & Nozzle Color	Rating
1,500+ GPM		Blue	Very Good Flow
1,000 - 1,499 GPM		Green	Good for Residential Areas
500 - 999 GPM		Orange	Adequately Marginal
Below 500 GPM		Red	Inadequate