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​Apply for a hydrant meter
FIRE HYDRANTS

Fire Hydrants have multiple uses, Fire Rescue use hydrants for emergency response while Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department (PBCWUD) personnel use hydrants to monitor water quality. PBCWUD is responsible for maintaining hydrants within the 1,300 sq. mile portion of unincorporated Palm Beach County.

HYDRANT METER

Builders, developers, painters and other businesses can request hydrant meters for projects requiring temporary access to public water service until permanent connections to the water system are complete. PBCWUD will issue a meter containing a backflow preventer to ensure that contaminated water does not enter the system.​​​

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Hydrant Meter Service Fees​

​Common fees and charges for a hydrant meter include:
Meter Size Account Deposit Monthly Base Fee* Usage Per 1,000 Gallons*
5/8" or 20 GPM** $450.00 $37.35 $1.61 (14,000) $3.72
2" or 160 GPM** $1,000.00 $411.64 $1.61 (138,000) $3.72
High Capacity or 160 GPM** $1,000.00 $986.30 $1.61 (557,000) $3.72

*October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026 (Prices are subject to annual CPI Indexing). 
**Gallons per minute

NOTE: The only acceptable forms of payment for hydrant meters are checks or money orders which must be made payable to Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department or PBCWUD.  

Once the hydrant meter application is approved, payments can be made online with your customer account. Need other ways to pay? Visit our customer service page for more easy ways to pay your bill. ​​

REQUESTING A HYDRANT METER OVERVIEW

The water through construction meters shall be considered non-potable and shall not be used for drinking or consumption purposes. The water may be used for non-potable applications such as temporary irrigation, testing of internal plumbing systems, flushing toilets in model homes, construction, or sales trailers. The Developer shall post "Non-Potable Water - Do Not Drink" signs at all water outlets served with construction water. The following steps are a general overview of the hydrant meter permit process.​

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Step 1: Find a Hydra​nt Access Point Near Your Site

PBCWUD has made it easy to find the closest hydrant to your worksite with our easy online​ hydrant search tool.

To find the closest hydrant to you,

  • Visit our easy online hydrant map here.
  • Use the search field located on the top right of your screen to enter the site address. The access locations will automatically display for you with the results tabulated on the left side of the screen.
  • Select the desired hydrant which will display the Maximo ID and Nearby address needed on the application. To see all available hydrants, you may need to close the address pop-up box. To adjust the map, use the (+) or (-) icons to zoom in or out. You can also click & drag to adjust the map in any direction.
  • When the map depicts two access roads to the desired hydrant, make sure to print your screen.​

Note: Our Service Area Boundary is encompassed by the highlighted area only.​​​

Step 2: Complete & P​rint the Hydrant Meter Form​

Before completing a hydrant meter application, please review the mandatory Hydrant Awareness and Line Threat Prevention brochure here​​ to learn how to care for the temporary meter properly. This required information will help you to recognize unauthorized connections and prevent contamination.

Once you have reviewed the hydrant awareness brochure, the next step is to complete and print the Hydrant Meter Application​​​​.  ​

*​Please select the correct meter size for your needs. The deposit submitted must match the application.

NOTE: The only acceptable forms of payment for hydrant meters are checks or money orders made payable to Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department or PBCWUD. ​​

Step 3: How to Submit Your Request​​

Once you have the map with hydrant information, filled out the application form, and secured a check or money order for payment, you are ready to submit your application. To ensure the fastest response to your request, please make sure you have all three items prior to submitting your request. Mail or drop off your completed request(s) to:

Attn: Contract Management 
Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department 
8100 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach, Florida 33413

Step 4: Installation

Only PBCWUD personnel are authorized to install, move, or remove meters from hydrants. No private meters may be installed. It is against the Lo​cal and Federal law for anyone other than authorized personnel to use water from a hydrant. Upon installation, this meter will be chained and locked, and a seal will be placed on the meter for identification. This chain and seal must remain intact. Removal of the meter may also result in a tampering fee assessed to the account.

New meter installation requests are scheduled within three to five business days.​​​​

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All requests for moving or the removals of hydrant meters must be received in writing either by e-mail to our Contract Management team at WUDCONTRACTSMGMT@pbcwater.com​ or by mail to:  

Attn: Contract Management 
Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department 
8100 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach, Florida 33413

A $35.00 trip fee will be billed to the account for each meter relocation. Requests are scheduled within three to five business days. ​​​​

HELP STOP WATER THEFT

To ensure our customers are provided with safe, clean, and reliable drinking water, PBCWUD conducts frequent monitoring of our distribution systems. Illegal and unregulated connections can not only increase the risk of contaminating our water supply but also lower the pressure needed for fire protection.

If you suspect water is being stolen from a fire hydrant or identify a water meter that has been bypassed or tampered with, please call (561) 740-4600, option 1. Willfully tampering with a water system is a violation of Florida Statute 812.14 and a misdemeanor of the first degree.

Contact our Contract Management Team with any questions. 

Need help submitting an application? Our team is here to help! Reach out to our Contract Management division by emailing WUDCONTRACTSMGMT@pbcwater.com or calling (561) 493-6000.​​​​​​​

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FIRE HYDRANT METER FAQS

Applicants must submit a completed Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department hydrant meter application, the required deposit (paper check or money order only payable to “PBCWUD”), and an aerial map clearly identifying the hydrant location. All required materials and submission details are outlined in the application instructions.

Completed applications may be mailed or dropped off in person during business hours Monday through Friday (excluding county holidays or closures due to hurricanes/extreme weather), and no appointment is required.

While applications may be sent using mailing services such as FedEx, mailing can result in processing delays. For this reason, applicants are encouraged to submit applications in person whenever possible.

Payment cannot be submitted electronically. While the application can be submitted electronically, the request cannot be processed until a check or money order is remitted.

Submit your application materials and payment to the address shown on the bottom of the application form. If mailing it in, failure to include “Attn: Contract Management” on your envelope may result in processing delays.

Service area boundaries are shown on the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department website and referenced in the application.

If a property is not located within the PBCWUD service area, applicants should contact the appropriate water utility provider for that location.

Look up your project address here to verify which utility provides water utilities to the property:
https://pbcwud.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5d2ced68102342858ac063758af5b981

Developers should submit an application and deposit once the newly erected hydrants on the project plans have been approved by the utility and the health department and the project is confirmed to be within the utility’s service area.

Approval may be delayed due to engineering review requirements, site conditions that create safety or access concerns, inclement weather, or the need to address equipment damage or repairs or rejection from the property owner of record.

Water usage is measured in gallons using the hydrant meter and billed according to the established utility rate structure.

Usage charges are applied based on current rates and thresholds outlined in the application and in the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department Uniform Policies and Procedures Manual, Chapter 6, Fees:
https://discover.pbcgov.org/waterutilities/Pages/Policies-and-Procedures.aspx

Yes. If a hydrant meter is damaged beyond repair, the security deposit is forfeited and a new application is required to obtain a replacement meter.

Unauthorized use of fire hydrants is against the law and should be reported via photos and/or videos to the utility using the contact information provided on the application.

Email: WUDCONTRACTSMGMT@pbcwater.com
Phone: (561) 493-6000

Customers must submit a written request by emailing WUDCONTRACTSMGMT@pbcwater.com to abandon the hydrant meter and provide the eight-digit Serial Number or ten-digit Utility Account Number.

This request initiates the removal process. If the meter is returned undamaged, the deposit will be refunded minus applicable water usage charges.

Customers must submit a written request by emailing WUDCONTRACTSMGMT@pbcwater.com to relocate the hydrant meter and provide the eight-digit Serial Number or ten-digit Utility Account Number.

This request initiates the relocation process.