The NFPA-affiliate Fire Protection Research Foundation released the results of a study that examined water usage and water-meter performance during residential sprinkler system actuation. The report found that the amount of water used to fight fires in homes without fire sprinkler systems can be higher than the amount discharged by such systems.

The report is based on survey results from participating U.S. fire departments that measured their average use of water at fires in single-family homes. It also examined fire flow calculations for a variety of fire sprinkler systems in single-family homes and the performance of conventional residential water meters in a maximum and minimum fire-sprinkler flow scenario, said Kathleen Almand, the foundation’s executive director, in a video presentation.

According to the report, an average of 3,524 gallons of water was discharged for firefighting at homes that did not have a residential fire sprinkler system. Assuming 10 minutes of operation, typically designed home fire sprinkler systems discharge 280 gallons of water per fire.

“The research provides an analysis of how residential sprinklers reduce the need for a specific resource, water, and the infrastructure it requires,” Almand said. “This data is extremely useful for communities as they evaluate the big picture when assessing the benefits that come with implementing residential fire sprinklers.”