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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 $36.02 $1.55 (14,000) $3.60
2" or 160 GPM** $1,000.00 $397.01 $1.55 (138,000) $3.60
High Capacity or 160 GPM** $1,000.00 $951.23 $1.55 (557,000) $3.60

*October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 (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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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 Hydrant Meter Application​ ​Form, and secure 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.​​​​​​