scope:

This standard shall provide the minimum requirements for the design, installation, and system acceptance testing of water spray fixed systems for fire protection service. This standard also includes requirements for the periodic testing and maintenance of ultra high-speed water spray fixed systems.

The term "water spray" shall refer to the use of water in a form having a predetermined pattern, particle size, velocity, and density discharged from specially designed nozzles or devices. Water spray fixed systems are usually applied to special fire protection hazards since the protection can be specifically designed to provide for effective fire control, extinguishment, prevention, or exposure protection. Water spray systems can be independent of, or supplementary to, other forms of protection.

The design of specific systems can vary considerably, depending on the nature of the hazard and the basic purposes of protection. Because of these variations and the wide choice in the characteristics of spray nozzles, these systems shall be competently designed, installed, and maintained. It shall be essential that their limitations as well as their capabilities be thoroughly understood by the designer.

This standard shall not cover water spray protection from portable nozzles, sprinkler systems, monitor nozzles, water mist suppression systems, explosion suppression, or other means of application covered by other standards of the National Fire Protection Association. For information on these applications refer to:

NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler System;

NFPA 24, Standard for the Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances;

NFPA 69, Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems;

NFPA 750, Standard on Water Mist Fire Protection Systems; and

NFPA 1964, Standard for (Shut off and Tip) Spray Nozzles.