Standpipes are everywhere in New York City, yet very little attention is paid to them. And what do we really know about them? A standpipe is a rigid pipe which supplies water under pressure to a water supply and/or sprinkler system in the event of a fire. And why do we need them? Because it is not feasible to run hoses from the street up stairwells to upper floors of a tall building in a fire (there are over 1,000 high-rise buildings in NYC). With a standpipe system, water is fed from the street through the vertical piping – hoses are attached from outlets at each floor.

There are dry and wet types – wet systems contain water at all times, while dry systems contain no water and may have their own source of water or be supplied by a firetruck in tandem with a fire hydrant. Water can be supplied via water tanks, city main, and/or hydrants and fire pumps. Siamese connections (shown in the photo) allow two hoses to be attached for increased capacity and provide backup if one is jammed or malfunctioning.

There are a variety of styles, of course. Conversation about these between myself and a photographer friend eventually inspired him to go on a photo quest (click here for his collection). A Siamese connection provides ideal seating, but beware of standpipes with sawtooth type projections on top, which I assume acts as a deterrent. BTW, standpipes are needed not just for tall buildings but also for anywhere there is no access to firetrucks or where there is excessive distance to stretch hose lines: shopping malls, theaters, stadiums, arenas, parking garages, bridges, tunnels, highways, piers…