By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@thecitizennews.com

Blue ribbons have always denoted the best. Now blue fire hydrants are rated tops based on their pipe size and water pressure.

Passersby and poodles alike have done a doubletake when they spot the shiny blue hydrants along Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree City.

A profusion of colors will now adorn the city's fire hydrants as the Fire Department color codes some 2,000 hydrants to comply with updated safety specifications set by the National Fire Protection Association.

Other colors include traditional red, safety orange and safety green.

According to Peachtree City's acting fire chief Stony Lohr, all the hydrants must be pressure tested prior to being painted. Once the amount of water pressure is determined in gallons per minute, firemen classify the hydrant's water main, the pipe that runs beneath the ground to the hydrant, which can range from six inches to 12 inches.

The result can mean a better safety rating for the city's department and ultimately better insurance rates for Peachtree City homeowners, Lohr explained.

Approximately 70 percent of the city's fire hydrants will remain red but may feature a different color cap. The following figures determine the color based on water pressure: red hydrant caps pump less than 500 gallons per minute, orange hydrants pump 500-999 gallons per minute, green hydrants pump 1,000-1,499 gallons per minute and blue hydrants pump greater than 1,500 gallons per minute.

The colors also correspond in range of main sizes from smallest to largest with the six-inch main designated red, the eight-inch main orange; the 10-inch green and the 12-inch blue.

The repainting project has just begun and Lohr said he anticipates completion in summer. Twice-per-year pressure tests will continue after the hydrants are color-coded.

The spray painting takes less than five minutes, and it's estimated that the crew can complete 20 to 30 a day, depending upon the number of fire and paramedic calls that take them away from the job.