1. Frost Free Water Hydrants
Potential Farmstead Impact
Lyndon Kelley, District Water Quality Agent, MSU Extension

2. How do Frost Free Hydrants Work
Frost free hydrants drain the riser pipe between underground supply line and the hydrant.

3. What Risk do Frost Free Hydrants Pose?
Ground level
Static Water level
Potential backflow of Contaminated water into riser pipe
Static Water level

4. What Risk do Frost Free Hydrants Pose?
Power failure with no backflow protection in place
Supply line
Potential backflow of Contaminated water into water supply
Ground level
Water level

5. What Risk do Frost Free Hydrants Pose?
Hydrant turned off while hose is immersed in sprayer
Ground level
Potential backflow of Contaminated water into soil at waste outlet
Water level
Supply line

6. Stopcock Backflow preventers Do Not prevent the problem.

7. What Risk do Frost Free Hydrants Pose?
Hydrant turned off while hose is immersed in sprayer. Backflow protection in place
Ground level
Potential backflow of Contaminated water into soil at backflow preventer’s waste outlet
Water level
Supply line

8. What Risk do Frost Free Hydrants Pose? Back Flow of Contaminated Water…..
Supply line
Ground level
Power failure with no backflow protection in place may allow contamination of water supply or soil near weep drain.
Water level
Supply line

9. What Risk do Frost Free Hydrants Pose (Bacterial Contamination)
Potential source
of contamination –
Manure, septic,
pesticide or fertilizer
Ground level
Water level
Potential backflow of Contaminated water into riser pipe

10. Frost Free Hydrants allowed by well Code
Michigan Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Code (Part 127, Act 368, PA 1978 and Administrative Rules). Protection of ground water resources and aquifers is accomplished by assuring that water wells are constructed, operated, and decommissioned in a technically sound manner.

11. Frost Free Hydrants allowed by well Code
YARD HYDRANTS
Items marked with a plus (+) have been added to the list since the last revision.
THE FOLLOWING FROST-PROOF YARD HYDRANTS DO NOT USE A STOP-AND-WASTE VALVE AND ARE APPROVED FOR
INSTALLATION ON ANY WATER SUPPLY IN MICHIGAN.
CAMPBELL - SANITARY YARD HYDRANT (SYH)
HIDE-DRANT CORPORATION – HIDE-DRANT MODEL 99 YARD HYDRANT (model number change, see below)
HIDE
HIDE
HOEPTNER PERFECTED PRODUCTS - FREEZE FLOW SANITARY YARD HYDRANT
MERRILL MFG. CO. - H-3000 SERIES WITH HEATING CABLE AND NO DRAIN HOLE
MURDOCK, INC. - EXPELO - SANITARY POST WATER HYDRANT
SIMMONS MANUFACTURING COMPANY – SIMMONS SANITARY YARD HYDRANT
WHITEWATER MFG. CO. - MODEL 256 FREEZE-PROOF/POLLUTION-PROOF YARD HYDRANT (Out of Production)
WOODFORD MFG. CO. - MODEL S1 FREEZE-PROOF/POLLUTION-PROOF YARD HYDRANT (Out of Production)
MODEL S2 SANITARY HYDRANT (Out of Production)
MODEL S3 SANITARY HYDRANT
+MODEL S4H SANITARY HYDRANT
YARD HYDRANTS WITH BURIED STOP-AND-WASTE VALVES ARE PROHIBITED ON ALL TYPES OF WATER SUPPLIES, UNDER SECTION P OF ARTICLE 15 OF THE MICHIGAN PLUMBING CODE, R A OF THE RULES FOR PART 127, ACT 368, PA 1978, MICHIGAN PUBLIC HEALTH CODE, AND RULE 1108(3), ACT 399, PA 1976, MICHIGAN SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT.

15. Michigan Water Stewardship Cost-share Practices – Minimizing the danger of frost free hydrants.
Since its beginning in 1995, the Michigan Water Stewardship program has assisted in purchasing or implementing more than 6,500 stewardship practices.

16. Offset Hydrant
Use of a frost free offset hydrant to provide separation between wells and mix / load operations.

17. Offset Hydrant
Off set hydrant allows the filling of sprayer away from well head, reducing the chance of spilled or dripped pesticide from reaching groundwater.

18. Mix/Load, Use of Air Gap
Prevent the backflow of pesticides from a sprayer to a well by maintaining an air gap between the hose and the sprayer fill port.

19. Mix/Load, Use of Air Gap
Practice application prevents back siphoning of pesticide contaminated waters into the well.

20. Nurse Tank (no longer cost shared)
This piece of equipment is used to transport clean water to the field for pesticide mixing and application.

21. Nurse Tank (no longer cost shared)
The use of a nurse tank reduces the risk of pesticide spills in near proximity to well.
Mixing and load at different location in field also minimizes build up of small spill and drip to level where normal chemical breakdown can happen.