Fire Hydrant Color-Coding

WhWhy is Los Lunas Fire Hydrant Colors Changing?


The Village of Los Lunas Water Sewer Division has requested the hydrants match that of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for color-coding according to flow. The National color standard for the body of the hydrants is yellow; however, silver is still recognized as a standard color.


Colored fire hydrant orange
Colored fire hydrant green

The Village of Los Lunas is painting the lower part of fire hydrants a reflective silver to assist the Fire Department in locating them, especially at night. The tops of the hydrants will be color coded based on the flow of the hydrant under normal operating conditions expressed in gallons per minute.


NFPA 291 - Standard Color Codes for Flow at 20 P.S.I. are as follows:

CLASS C LESS THAN 500 GPM - RED
CLASS B 500-999 GPM - ORANGE
CLASS A 1000-1499 GPM - GREEN
CLASS AA 1500 GPM & ABOVE - LIGHT BLUE

NFPA recommends that the bodies of municipal hydrants, private hydrants, and non-potable hydrants be distinctively color coded. The NFPA standard calls for private hydrants to be red.

The most important objective is consistency; this provides fire personnel quick emergency response information on the capacity of each hydrant and/or whether it belongs to the municipality or is it privately owned. Over the next few months the colors will be changing. Our team is working for its community by testing and servicing all Village Fire Hydrants.

If you have questions regarding the process, contact: Ray Vigil Water/Sewer Superintendent at 352-7657 or vigilr@loslunasnm.gov.