Backyard pools have a role to play in fighting bushfires
With record-breaking temperatures and catastrophic potential for bushfires hitting many parts of Australia, Yarra Valley Water is urging customers in grass fire and bushfire-prone areas to include a water supply in their emergency plan.
The Victorian Country Fire Authority (CFA) has stated this fire season could be the most dangerous since the 2009 Black Saturday fires. This is part of a trend of fire seasons starting earlier and lasting longer due to changing weather patterns.
The fire danger period is already in effect and is expected to continue through to May 2026.
Bridie Fennessy, general manager of asset services for Yarra Water, says a reliable water supply cannot be guaranteed during a fire and preparation is crucial.
“We all know grass fires and bushfires can happen at any time, with the potential to devastate properties and damage water pipes and tanks,” she says.
“During a fire, our customers could experience low water pressure, loss of supply or reduced water quality. This could be due to equipment damage due to heat or fire, high demand for water from firefighters, or power outages.”
As well as urging everyone to include drinking water in their emergency kit, she says if they intend to defend their property, they will need an independent water supply because you won’t be able to rely on mains water during a fire.
The CFA and Fire Rescue Victoria recommend an independent water supply of at least 10,000 litres and a non-mains reliant pump if you are intending to stay and fight a fire.
Fennessy also says it is also important for customers to update their contact details with a mobile phone number for SMS updates during an emergency that affects water supplies.
Static water supply
In New South Wales, the Static Water Supply (SWS) program is a free service that enables residents to help local firefighters by identifying existing water supplies (such as swimming pools, dams or tanks) on their property that could be used for firefighting purposes.
The NSW Rural Fire Service provides specially designed SWS signs for properties with suitable water supplies. This helps firefighters access vital water supplies quickly and efficiently to help them defend your property. Examples of suitable water supplies include:
A property dam which can be used to refill fire tankers and firefighting aircraft such as helicopters which support our firefighters on the ground.
A backyard swimming pool, which provides an ideal static water supply for small portable pumps and hose lines to help protect your home.
A tank, which with appropriate fittings can also be used to quickly supply water for firefighting.
If you have a pool, tank or dam with more than 3000 litre capacity and wish to be part of the SWS Program, please contact your local Fire Control Centre or email [email protected], with your name, phone number, address, postcode, local government area.
Plungie pools
Some Plungie pools can have a fire provision added to them to help fight fires. The provision is a small modification that can be made to the pool shell, allowing it to be used as a firefighting water source. This provision provides for two additional suction points, which allows a valve to be added to the pool, which can ultimately be connected to a hydrant or pump connection for firefighting.
Plungie had received requests from homeowners in bushfire-prone areas to add a fire provision to their pool, so they introduced this as a standard modification that can be added to the Original and Max models.
IMAGE: Firefighting in Knox, Yarra Valley Water
