Quote Originally Posted by nova_robotics View Post
What's wrong with having above ground hydrants?
can't speak for anyone else, but when I look as US above ground hydrants I see a few things different from the below ground hydrant used in parts of Australia... namely:
#1- above ground used to counteract the effects of freezing - not an issue in a lot of Australia
#2 - takes up real estate above ground (limits where people park, etc)
#3 - seems that other people can access the hydrants (movies often show kids playing in the water from hydrants) - my local council would be quite cranky if people were accessing mains pressure water free of charge
#4 - the above ground hydrant would require regular servicing at a higher level and cost than the simple valve and hook assembly of a below ground unit - the high wear component (where the hose line attaches) is carried in the truck and inspected regularly - cheap to replace, and only need 1-2 per truck, not one every x distance along every street
#5 - no above ground hazards for traffic interactions,(I imagine hitting a hydrant would be like hitting a bollard - wreck the car (and driver), and probably damage the hydrant
#6 - allows the hydrant to be placed in a variety of locations (street, footpath/chainage, front yard) - whereas an above ground hydrant would need a branch line before it could be moved due to road widening/alignment

All that said, there are above ground hydrants in Australia here and there - they are basically a 75-150mm (3-6") pipe connected the water mains, controlled with a valve at the end, and fitted with a BIC female connector (or more than one in a manifold) immediately after the valve - the Pump truck can run a line to that and operate the same as a standard below ground hydrant. These are typically seen built into the side of large city buildings, but can also be free-standing with "protection" around them (bollards, etc) -