the.com/fire hydrant
A sidewalk valve that proves cities love dogs more than visible plumbing.
means A street-level valve connected to the water main that firefighters tap into with hoses to fight nearby fires.
from 'Hydrant' comes from the Greek 'hydor,' meaning water — the same root behind 'hydrate' and 'hydraulic.' The device itself emerged in the early 1800s as cities built underground water mains and needed quick street access for firefighting, replacing the old method of bucket brigades and cisterns. 'Fire' was simply tacked on to specify its job, distinguishing it from other hydrants used for street-washing or watering.
- origin
- first US patent lost in 1836 patent office fire
- color code
- colors signal gallons per minute, not decoration
- design quirk
- breaks at ground level on purpose when hit
- nozzle caps
- pentagon bolts need special wrench to deter tampering