Hydrant Rules and Regulations
District and Fire Department regulations require that fire hydrants have a minimum clearance of 3 feet on all sides of the hydrant. If you have a fire hydrant on your property, you may landscape around it if there is 3 feet of clearance and it can be easily accessed in the event of a fire and for district maintenance.
Although the fire department has detailed information on the location of district hydrants, it can be difficult to locate and connect to a hydrant in an emergency if a hydrant is covered by bushes, trees, decorative walls and other forms of landscaping.
Please do not park in front of hydrants!!
If you have a fire hydrant located on your property, the District and fire department requests your assistance in maintaining the required clearance. Please keep bushes, trees and landscape plants trimmed and remove any obstructions from around the hydrant. The district and fire department must be able to easily connect hoses and equipment to hydrants during routine maintenance and emergency situations. In the event of a fire, every second counts!
Pictured below are “unacceptable clearance” (bottom left) and “acceptable clearance” (bottom right) examples. If you have any questions or concerns about the above restrictions, contact the District office at info@plattecanyon.org or 303-979-2333.
Meters and Mowing
Most Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) devices mount through the meter pit lid. From the top, it looks like a black disc about seven inches in diameter. It sticks up ½ inch to ¾ inch above the top of the meter pit lid, or it may be set into a recess in the lid. The center part of the unit is made of hard plastic — hard enough to support the weight of a car, but not able to survive an encounter with a lawn mower blade or a lawn aerator spike
Please be careful when you are aerating or mowing around water meter pits. Never run your aerator over the top of a meter pit, and check the clearance between your mower blade and the top of the AMR device. The current standard charge for replacing an AMR device damaged by a mower or aerator is $201.
As the original AMR devices wear out, Denver Water is gradually replacing them with new devices that mount below the meter pit lid. The new models are more durable, have stronger signal transmission and offer new features that help us read meters more efficiently and reliably. The mounting system keeps the device out of the way of lawn mower blades and aerator spikes.
While doing landscape projects, be sure the meter pit lid remains exposed, level with the ground, and outside any fences or walls. Never put rocks, flower pots or other objects on the meter pit.
If you have any questions about AMR, call Denver Water’s Customer Care line at 303-893-2444.