Firewater (fire fighting)
Encyclopedia
Fire water refers to water that has been used in fire fighting
and requires disposal. In many cases it is a highly polluting material and requires special care in its disposal
In many fire fighting situations, large quantities of water remain after the fire has been extinguished. The water contains materials present in the building and also contains dissolved and particulate materials from combustion
processes and materials generated through quenching. Fire water can be particularly polluting when the building or site being extinguished itself contains potentially polluting materials such as pesticide
s, organic and inorganic chemical reagents, fertilizer
s, etc. Certain types of premises including farm
s and the chemical industry
pose special risks because of the types of materials present. Premises containing quantities of plastic
s can also cause severe problems because of the taste and odour imparted to the fire water. Releasing contaminated fire water into a river or other water source subsequently used to supply drinking water
may render the untreated water supply unsuitable for drinking or food preparation.
Managing fire water frequently requires that the water be contained on site and then removed from site for specialised treatment. One of the recognised techniques is to contain the fire water in the drainage system using pneumatic bladders or lockable non-return valves which can be activated either automatically or manually.
Fire water containment is one of the many environmental factors that is considered alongside spill and pollution containment as an essential part of any company's environmental policy for ISO14001 accreditation.
Fire fighting
Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
and requires disposal. In many cases it is a highly polluting material and requires special care in its disposal
In many fire fighting situations, large quantities of water remain after the fire has been extinguished. The water contains materials present in the building and also contains dissolved and particulate materials from combustion
Combustion
Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can result in the production of light in the form of either glowing or a flame...
processes and materials generated through quenching. Fire water can be particularly polluting when the building or site being extinguished itself contains potentially polluting materials such as pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s, organic and inorganic chemical reagents, fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s, etc. Certain types of premises including farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s and the chemical industry
Chemical industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
pose special risks because of the types of materials present. Premises containing quantities of plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s can also cause severe problems because of the taste and odour imparted to the fire water. Releasing contaminated fire water into a river or other water source subsequently used to supply drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
may render the untreated water supply unsuitable for drinking or food preparation.
Managing fire water frequently requires that the water be contained on site and then removed from site for specialised treatment. One of the recognised techniques is to contain the fire water in the drainage system using pneumatic bladders or lockable non-return valves which can be activated either automatically or manually.
Fire water containment is one of the many environmental factors that is considered alongside spill and pollution containment as an essential part of any company's environmental policy for ISO14001 accreditation.