What is a Dry Riser?

Required in buildings between 18m – 60m in height, a Dry Riser system is most commonly a vertical pipe fitted in staircase enclosures or other suitably convenient positions. Outlet Valves are situated on each level and an Inlet Valve is fitted at ground level. Fire Fighters can route water from the nearest Fire Hydrant, through a high pressure water pump and into the Dry Riser pipe; allowing them access to high pressure water on the upper floors of high rise buildings in the event of a fire.

Dry Riser systems can also be found in complexes, which are spread over a large footprint ie: shopping centres or train stations. In this event, the Dry Riser pipework covers the building over a largely horizontal extent, which is still governed by the same legal requirement for testing and maintenance.

As with most required fire safety systems there is a standard to which Dry Riser systems should be installed and maintained. The current British Standard that applies to Dry Riser Systems is BS9990:2015, which states that a Dry Riser requires a full hydrostatic wet pressure test – to a pressure of 12 bar (174 psi) – on an annual basis with a Test Certificate to be held on record and presented to the relevant authority during fire safety inspections. Failure to comply with these standards can result in invalidated building insurance policies or even fines. Larger fines and prosecution have occurred when a Dry Riser system is found to be inoperable in an emergency situation.

BS9990:2015 states that Dry Riser systems must be watertight and all valves operational, ready for immediate and unimpeded use in an emergency. This Standard also recommends that Dry Riser systems undergo a 6-monthly visual inspection to ensure that all moving parts are operational and have not been tampered with.

The responsibility to ensure that Dry Riser testing is carried out on an annual basis lies with the owner of the premises or, subsequently, with an acting Property Manager. In the event of a Dry Riser System failing in an emergency situation, or if a Test Certificate has expired, you as the Property Manager could be fined directly or even prosecuted for failure to comply with the current British Standards regulation BS9990:2015.

Insurance companies have indicated that Building Insurance may be invalid where a valid Dry Riser Test Certificate does not exist.