Loudoun County Fire & Life Safety Education 4. What is meant by the term, “rural water supply?
Rural water supply refers to fire suppression operations in areas where there are no fire hydrants. Water for fire suppression must be brought in by trucks called tankers. Distance from the nearest water source, usually a pond or underground tank, limits the speed in which water can be delivered, and thus is a significant factor in the tactics used by the fire crews. The department has a program to assist in installing improvements, called “dry hydrants” to rural ponds to make establishing the water supply.
