During the permit of use or notice of use procedure, a letter arrives out of the blue in which the municipality asks about the existence of a firefighting water point and its test certificate. Many people do not have this document, because nobody mentioned it during construction. In this guide we explain in plain language where the requirement comes from, when a dry hydrant is needed, how much water there must be, and how to get it all properly on paper and into the Building Register.
Why the municipality asks for it
Under § 23(2) of the Fire Safety Act, a building subject to fire safety requirements must have a compliant water point. The water point is provided by the building owner. If one water point serves several buildings, their owners provide it jointly.
In towns and small towns this obligation is usually already met – the public water mains have pressurised hydrants and nobody asks you for anything. In rural areas there is no public water supply, so the property owner must create the water point themselves. That is where the question of a dry hydrant or a firefighting water tank comes up.
The detailed requirements – distances, water volumes, piping, testing, signage – are in Regulation No. 10 of the Minister of the Interior of 18.02.2021 and its three annexes. What the building design for a water point must contain is set out in Regulation No. 8 of the Minister of the Interior of 16.02.2021.
When a dry hydrant is needed
Water point is a general term. A dry hydrant is one type of it. Regulation No. 10 distinguishes three solutions:
| Type | What it is | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| On a pressurised water source | An ordinary fire hydrant on the public water main – the water is already under pressure. | Cities, towns and built-up areas with a public water supply. |
| On a non-pressurised water source (dry hydrant) | A suction pipe from a pond, lake, river or underground tank. The fire engine's pump draws the water itself. | Rural areas, country homes, production buildings outside towns – the most common solution. |
| Pressurised by rescue equipment | A pipe that the fire engine itself pressurises when the water point cannot be placed closer to the building. | Properties with difficult access. The pipe must withstand 10 bar. |
In practice, a dry hydrant is needed when the nearest compliant water point is more than 200 metres from the building and there is no other solution. If the property has a pond, a dry hydrant is generally the cheapest option. If there is no pond, a firefighting water tank is buried in the ground.
A tank and a water body are legally equivalent solutions – the only difference is how you prove the water volume is sufficient and how you deal with frost protection and ventilation.
How much water is needed
This is where most people go wrong – and where the municipality's query most often gets stuck. The required water flow depends on the building's fire compartment with the highest fire load density, not on the building's floor area or value.
| Fire load density of the fire compartment | Required water flow |
|---|---|
| up to 600 MJ/m² | 10 l/s |
| 601–1200 MJ/m² | 20 l/s |
| over 1200 MJ/m² | 30 l/s |
If the fire load density cannot be determined, the flow is calculated as if it were over 1200 MJ/m², i.e. 30 l/s. Only compartments with an area over 200 m² are taken into account.
The required water volume is calculated with the formula flow × time × 3.6, where the required extinguishing time is generally three hours:
| Flow | 1 hour | 3 hours (standard requirement) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 l/s | 36 m³ | 108 m³ |
| 20 l/s | 72 m³ | 216 m³ |
| 30 l/s | 108 m³ | 324 m³ |
An important distinction: water volume and flow are two different things. A pond may hold 200 m³ of water, but if the suction pipe has the wrong diameter or the strainer is too small, the test will not reach 10 l/s and the water point will not comply.
Distances and access
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Distance from the building (for the safety of rescue equipment) | at least 30 m |
| Distance from the building's farthest entrance or the structure's farthest accessible point | up to 200 m |
| Access for rescue vehicles | all year round, with room to manoeuvre |
| Access to water | safe in every season, including winter |
The site plan must show the coverage area: draw a 200 m radius around the water point and show that all the buildings it serves fall within it. This is a direct requirement of Regulation No. 8 and the first thing the official looks at. If there is no coverage area drawing, the design is sent back.
The access road is not a formality. A fire engine weighs several tonnes – a dirt road that gives way in spring means the water point cannot be used in practice.
Basic technical requirements
These are the requirements of Annex 1 to Regulation No. 10 that the builder must follow and that are checked during testing. Give this table to the builder before work starts – redoing it later costs many times more.
| Element | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Outlet coupling | Storz 125 with a blank coupling or cap |
| Pipe internal diameter | 10–12.5 cm |
| Part of the pipe not filled with water | up to 3 m long and up to 8 m in total |
| Watertightness and pressure resistance | at least 5 bar (10 bar if pressurised by rescue equipment) |
| Vacuum resistance | down to −0.8 bar |
| Frost depth in calculations | generally 70 cm |
| Height of suction strainer above the bottom | at least 50 cm |
| Upper openings of the strainer | at least 50 cm below the water surface |
| Area of strainer openings | at least 3× the pipe cross-section |
| Manhole cover diameter | at least 50 cm |
| Tank ventilation | sufficient air inflow and outflow at a flow of 50 l/s |
| Tank ladder | permanently fixed, non-slip, able to bear at least 125 kg |
Special note: the technical solution for an underground water point on a non-pressurised water source must be approved by the Rescue Board (Päästeamet) before it is built. This is often forgotten, and then the whole procedure stalls.
Sign
- The sign is installed in a visible place within 20 m of the water point.
- The background is retroreflective white, RAL 9003.
- The colour of the frame and the key symbol shows the type of water source: pressurised – red RAL 3001, non-pressurised (dry hydrant, pond, tank) – green RAL 6032, pressurised by rescue equipment – blue RAL 5005.
- The exact design and dimensions of the sign are in Annex 2 to the regulation – order the sign from a manufacturer that makes it according to the current annex.
- Old signs in the wrong colour must be replaced by 1 January 2028 at the latest.
Documentation and EHR
In Building Register terms, a firefighting water point is a structure, and it has two separate procedures – one for building it, the other for bringing it into use.
| Stage | What to submit | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Before construction | Building notice with building design | Building Code, Annex 1 |
| After completion | Notice of use with building design and test certificate | Building Code, Annex 2 |
What the building design must contain
The content requirements are short – Regulation No. 8 lists six points: the location and type of the water point, the building served with its coverage area, the water source details and water volume, the hydraulic solution, access and signage. It is also required that the design is presented in a way that allows compliance to be checked. In practice this means a clear explanatory note, a site plan and a schematic section – not a detailed working design.
Six data fields the EHR asks for
- 1.Coordinates of the outlet location (L-EST97).
- 2.Year first brought into use.
- 3.Type of water point, e.g. "above-ground water point on a non-pressurised water source (dry hydrant)".
- 4.Hydraulic solution: pipe diameter, length, depth, strainer, coupling.
- 5.Type of water source and water volume in cubic metres.
- 6.Water flow in litres per second.
If the EHR form has no separate box for a data field, enter it in the explanations box and repeat it in the design explanatory note. That way the requirement is met even if the form is structured differently.
A building notice carries no state fee. If the municipality does not notify you of the need for further checks within 10 days, construction may begin. The same 10-day rule also applies to the notice of use. For a more general overview of the EHR, see the guide how to apply for a building notice and permit of use in the EHR.
Dry hydrant certificate: what exactly is it
The "dry hydrant certificate" the municipality asks for is usually the water point test certificate. A water point is tested both before it is brought into use and later to keep it in working order, and the test result is a mandatory annex to the notice of use.
What happens during testing
- Water flow is measured with a calibrated flow meter; the result is rounded down to the nearest whole number divisible by five (e.g. 13 l/s → 10 l/s).
- On a non-pressurised water source, a pump with a capacity at least 100% greater than the required flow is used.
- It is assessed whether the water source provides the required volume over the required time.
- The frost protection measures, the access and the accuracy of the sign details are checked.
- A pipe pressurised by rescue equipment undergoes a hydraulic pressure test at 15 bar for at least 10 minutes.
What the certificate must contain
The certificate may be in free form, but it must include at least: the water point's address, cadastral number and outlet coordinates; the owner; the building served and the service area; the water source type and water volume; the measured flow with the flow meter details and calibration certificate number; an assessment of frost protection measures; access road details; compliance of the sign; the tester's name, qualification, date and signature. Photos of the outlet, sign and access make the certificate much more convincing.
How often the test must be repeated
| Type of water point | Testing frequency |
|---|---|
| On a pressurised water source (hydrant on the public water main) | at least once every 3 years |
| On a non-pressurised water source (dry hydrant, pond, tank) | at least once every 2 years |
| Pressurisation point of a water point pressurised by rescue equipment | at least once every 2 years |
After each maintenance test, the result is sent to the Rescue Board via the Building Register. If the water point temporarily cannot be used – for example the pond is empty or the access is blocked – this must also be reported via the EHR at the earliest opportunity.
Seven common mistakes
- 1.The coverage area is not shown on the site plan. Without the 200 m radius, the official cannot check whether the water point serves your building at all.
- 2.Water volume and flow are confused. A large pond does not automatically mean a compliant water point – the flow depends on the pipe and the strainer.
- 3.The dwelling exception is not used. 108 m³ is calculated instead of 30 m³, and the project looks unfeasible, although it is not.
- 4.Wrong coupling. Storz 110 or 75 will not do – the fire engine's hose will not fit.
- 5.The strainer is too small. The area of the openings must be three times the pipe cross-section.
- 6.An underground solution is built without the Rescue Board's approval. Approval must be obtained before construction, not after.
- 7.The notice of use is submitted without a test certificate. It is a mandatory annex, and without it the procedure stalls.
Frequently asked questions
Does every house need a dry hydrant?
No. The requirement arises when fire safety requirements apply to the building and there is no compliant water point within a 200 m radius of the building's farthest entrance. In built-up areas, a public water main hydrant covers this.
Can we share a water point with the neighbours?
Yes. The law states directly that if one water point serves several buildings, their owners provide it jointly. In practice it is worth putting the agreement in writing and recording who arranges testing and maintenance.
How much does it cost?
A dry hydrant at an existing pond is usually the cheapest solution. An underground tank costs many times more, because excavation, the tank itself and its installation are added. On top of that come the sign and the test. With a standard solution, you can do the design part yourself.
The building is old, but the municipality is now asking for a water point – is that right?
When you submit a notice of use or an application for a permit of use, the municipality checks whether the building complies with current requirements. For old buildings, a lot depends on the building's situation – see the guide on legalising an unauthorised building.
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