By Mayor Dave Claunch West Lake Hills, TX
Westlake Picayune Contributing Writer
Recognizing that the necessary improvements to Water District 10’s water system will likely take many years to implement, the city has been considering options for reducing fire risk in new homes that are proposed in these low-flow areas.
The city of West Lake Hills has been working with the leadership of Water District 10 since 2011 to help protect our community from a catastrophic fire. In recent months, the district has made substantial progress toward implementing upgrades to its infrastructure to improve fire hydrant flows and pressures throughout its service area. The City Council and I applaud their efforts and continue to offer our support for the hard work that lies ahead.
On Dec. 4, the City Council held a joint meeting with the Water District 10 Board of Directors. We reviewed the feasibility reports produced by the district’s engineering firm, discussed the scope and costs of the proposed work and reviewed the options for financing the costly upgrades.
We also discussed the results of recent fire hydrant flow tests conducted by the city in October and November. Those results differed from the 2011 hydrant test results on which the feasibility studies were based. We are working closely with the district to analyze those results and see how or if they affect the planned upgrades and costs.
Much more work remains to nail down all of those issues and the city remains committed to helping. Meanwhile, the moratorium on issuing building permits for new construction in areas where the fire flows are below the minimum standards established by the International Fire Code remains in place. That code, incorporated into the city’s building code, requires certain fire flows from the nearest fire hydrant based on a proposed home’s size and building type.
For instance, if you intend to build a new home that is 4,500 square feet in size, and you are using standard construction materials, the IFC requires the fire hydrant nearest to the site to flow at no less than 1,750 gallons per minute. The code allows a reduction to the minimum fire flow of 50 percent if a residential fire sprinkler system is installed in the living areas of the home. So for the example above, the nearest hydrant would only need to flow at 875 gallons per minute if a fire sprinkler system is installed. The flow requires increase as the home’s square footage increases.
Even with the allowed reduction for sprinklers, there are many areas of West Lake Hills where it’s not currently possible to build a new home of any size because the fire hydrant flows are so low. Several proposed projects are on hold until the situation can be remedied.
My greatest concern is that a house fire could become a wildfire if there’s not enough water to contain a major house fire. Therefore, I support these restrictions in the IFC because I believe it’s important that we not allow more homes to be built in high-risk areas – until the fire flows are there to protect it and the neighboring homes.
Recognizing that the necessary improvements to Water District 10’s water system will likely take many years to implement, the city has been considering options for reducing fire risk in new homes that are proposed in these low-flow areas.
In December, two of our council members – David Moore and Stan Graham, who have experience in engineering and engineering – were appointed to a City Council subcommittee to study this issue. They spoke with many experts in the field, including Michael Lacey of the Westlake Fire Department. Stan Graham reported their findings at our Jan. 8 meeting. After careful consideration, the City Council instructed our city attorney to draft an ordinance to be considered at our Jan. 22 meeting, which would allow for additional reductions to the minimum fire flow requirements if certain conditions are met.
Some of the conditions under consideration include the use of residential sprinkler systems that are installed in the attic and garage spaces (instead of just the living areas), the use of fire-resistant exterior building materials, and the creation of a defensible space around the outside of the home. Utilizing these options would reduce the fire risk to the neighboring homes and surrounding community.
The City Council will hold a public hearing on this matter at its Jan. 22 meeting. I encourage you attend and share your thoughts.
No comments:
Post a Comment