EBMUD's Hydrant information comes from two sources, the Mapping database which contains hydrant mapping data, and the Hydrant Flow Test database which contains hydrant data and flow test information. These two databases are maintained independently by two different groups in the District, but the information is merged about once every three months.

The Hydrant Flow Test database is considered to be more complete than the Mapping database because hydrants which have had a flow test may not yet be mapped. This is especially true for new hydrants which have gone into the ground within the past six months. These hydrants will not have coordinates, and therefore will not appear on any map. The primary source of hydrant information for this Hydrant Query application is the Hydrant Flow Test database, and the Mapping database is accessed for supplementary information.

The Hydrant Query Web page is divided into three sections - the search menu on the left, the hydrant query results on the right at the top, and the details for any selected hydrant or flow test at the bottom. A query will produce a list from which you can select any individual hydrant or flow test to get that detailed information. If there is only one hydrant in the result, you will get the hydrant details automatically.

EBMUD employees using this query can select links to branch to the pipe details to list the customers on that pipe section, other hydrants on that pipe, valves or other components, the pressure zone, or other additional information.

Hydrant numbers are identifiers which have been assigned by the District (or a prior Water company that has been absorbed by the District) to hydrants. They often are not unique. Sometimes they are numeric, sometimes they have a letter (most often an H) followed by a hyphen and a number. There is no consistency. This query is not case sensitive.

Use this search technique only if you are sure of the number which you have obtained from another reliable source. Make sure the Hydrant Number button (the default) is selected, and then click the Query box.

Hydrants are located by street names. There is always one primary street name. Hydrants on or near a corner also have a cross street name. Use only the primary word in the street name (e.g. Ashby for Ashby Ave, or 56TH, or just 56, for E 56TH St). This query is not case sensitive.

When you have entered your text, select the Street Name, the Cross Street Name or Both Street Names button, and then click the Query box. Because the choice of the primary street name for a hydrant on a corner is arbitrary, and cannot be predicted, you will be guaranteed to find the hydrant(s) you are searching for by selecting Both Street Names, although the list may be long. Every street name across the District will be searched for the string entered.

Map Numbers are always in the format NNNNBNNN, where the N's are numbers and B is a constant. If you have an index to the map numbers, and a set of map books (available from the Engineering Services Division in the Engineering Department) this is a useful way to do a hydrant search. Make sure the Map Number button is selected, and click the Query box.

The Specialist Queries are typically used by internal experts, who have access to detailed database information and know the number of the unique generated number for hydrants, flow tests, and pipe segments. Type in the number that you have obtained from another source, select the appropriate button, and click the Query box.

There is an option to query those hydrants which have been flow tested for any City. Do not type anything into the input area, but select the "yes" button, then drop down the City list and pick the City you want. All flow tested hydrants for that City will appear in street name order. Note that if it is a City with a lot of flow tested hydrants (e.g. Oakland) the result may take awhile, especially when coming in from the outside via a slower dial-up connection.

Query results will produce a list of hydrants in the top right panel. The column on the left is the City code. You would use this primarily to narrow down your search. That is followed by the street name, hydrant number, pipe extension, flow test date, the intersection or cross street name, the pressure zone, the map number, and the test number. If a hydrant has had more than one test, there will be more than one row for a given hydrant.

Select the hydrant number to bring up the hydrant details in the frame below, the pipe extension to go to the pipe details, the pressure zone to go to the pressure zone details, the map number to see the map in pdf format, and the test number to bring up the test details in the frame below. (Links to the Pipe Details, Pressure Zone, and map are for EBMUD employees only).

The hydrant detail area is divided into three sections - the information from the Hydrant Flow Test database, the additional hydrant and pipe information from the Intergraph Mapping database, and information about the hydrant outlets. Links are available to branch to maps, the pipe information, and the pressure zone information as needed (EBMUD employees only).

The hydrant flow test detail is divided into seven sections - the flow test information, the reservoir elevation, the pumping plant flow information, the adjacent flow test details, the additional hydrant and pipe information from the Intergraph Mapping database, and information about the hydrant outlets. Links are available to branch to maps, the pipe information, and the pressure zone information as needed (EBMUD employees only).

There are several pieces of information to help locate a hydrant as accurately as possible. Hydrants which have been flow tested are located more accurately than those that have not.

Untested hydrants are located by primary street name. The nearest building number is not provided. For hydrants which are located on or near a street intersection, the choice of which street name to use as the primary street name may be arbitrary, but in general it is the one where the pipe to which the hydrant is connected is located. However, ALL hydrants which have coordinates will also by located by the full service address of the nearest tap (see below).

Tested hydrants are located by primary street name, and most of the time by the nearest building number, as observed in the field when the test was conducted. Again, for hydrants which are located on or near a street intersection, the choice of which street name to use may be arbitrary, but in general it is the one where the pipe to which the hydrant is connected is located. However much of the time the name of the cross street is often specified. For this reason, when querying by street it is best to use the "Both Street Names" option. Again, ALL hydrants which have coordinates will also by located by the full service address of the nearest tap (see below).

When the hydrant or the flow test details are selected, if the hydrant has coordinates (99.9% do), the coordinates of the nearest tap (horizontal distance as the crow flies) are retrieved using Oracle's spatial geometry technique, and the service address of that tap is provided. This is denoted by the "Nearest Service Address" title as the last item in the HFT Hydrant Detail section. The distance between that tap and the hydrant is also given. The street name for that address will almost always be the same as either the primary street or the cross street. However the building number may be different, but it should be close.

A CAUTION: In areas of hilly terrain where the streets are very convoluted, (e.g. the Oakland Berkeley hills), care should be taken to evaluate all the location information, and verify the location of hydrants with a site visit if necessary. There could be cases where the nearest service address to a given hydrant is misleading due to the fact that, although a tap may have the shortest horizontal distance to a hydrant, actually driving there along streets could be via a somewhat circuitous route.