WATER SUPPLY EVALUATION

In this series, we dive into evaluating water supply using the N¹·⁸⁵ graph. What is it, and why does it matter? What can interpolation and extrapolation tell us about the results? Why might flowing more water during a flow test actually help? We compare calculated and graphed results, extrapolate fire flow, share examples of different water supply results, explore variation and safety factors in this 12-part series.

Our objectives include:

  1. Understand what the N^1.85 graph represents and how to read, interpret, and apply it for water supply evaluation.
  2. Recognize when and how to use interpolation, extrapolation, and increased flow testing to improve data accuracy.
  3. Be capable of determining demand, safety factors, and variations on the N^1.85 graph for clear and defensible water supply analysis.

FX131 - 2025 - 1.5 HOURS

MODULES

MEET THE INSTRUCTOR

Derek Duval, PE

Fire Protection Engineer, Building and Life Safety Code Expert | San Diego, California, USA
Derek Duval is a licensed Fire Protection Engineering and Fire/Life Safety Code Consulting Expert in the Southern California Region. Mr. Duval holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering, both from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Since graduating from WPI, he built his experience in Fire Protection Engineering from a diverse background having worked for several organizations. Realizing a need for expanding fire safety education, Mr. Duval working UCSD Extended Studies developed and instructs course work in Fire Protection Engineering intended to help bridge the gap between traditional engineering disciplines and fire protection engineering. Currently, he is working as a Fire Protection Engineer for the City of San Diego, part-time Instructor for UCSD Extended Studies teaching about fire protection engineering, and Owner/Principal of Duval Fire Codes, a small firm dedicated to expanding fire protection engineering knowledge and code consulting. When not working or talking about fire and life safety, he and his wife enjoy the outdoors, visiting new places, taking care of old dogs, movies, Broadway shows, various board and video games. 

Joe Meyer, PE

Owner / Fire Protection Engineer at MeyerFire | St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Joe Meyer, PE is a St. Louis-based Fire Protection Engineer and creator of MeyerFire, an online resource platform for professionals in the fire protection industry. Passionate about the field, Joe is committed to creating impactful resources to help grow and improve the practice of fire protection engineering.

Joe's engineering journey started at the University of Kansas and continued at the University of Maryland. Before founding MeyerFire, he led a fire protection group in St. Louis and worked for a large MEP group in Kansas City. Joe is also an avid illustrator and ran an online art shop from 2012 to 2020.

Today, Joe is the creative lead for MeyerFire among other roles. He has authored the leading prep guide for the Fire Protection PE Exam, contributed to NFSA’s Layout Book, compiled the NFSA Expert of the Day volumes, has served as a Chapter President in SFPE, and lectured at the university level.

Joe is driven to make the world a little better each day by working to provide industry professionals (engineers, contractors, architects, and building owners) with the resources they need to create a more firesafe world.

Franck Orset

Senior Loss Prevention Engineer at Emani | Greater Nice Metropolitan Area, France
Franck is a fire loss prevention engineer working in the insurance business. After 15 years within a conventional international insurance company based in France visiting industrial facilities – mostly in Europe – to perform technical risk assessments as support to underwriting and claims adjustment departments, as well as technical support to insured clients, Franck joined a mutual organization for nuclear facilities in 2010. He now performs loss prevention visits worldwide for fire prevention, fire protection and natural hazards evaluations and provide technical support in nuclear power plants, research centers, waste management facilities, nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities, etc. Since 2018, Franck is also a Member of the NFPA Technical Committee “Fire Protection for Nuclear Facilities (FIF-AAA) – NFPA standards 801, 804, 805 and 806. With a background of Chemical Engineer, he was trained as a fire loss prevention engineer in the USA by Kemper International in Long Grove in the mid-90’s.