moddsey, 80sKid, philk, David, and isdl, from Y2010-M03-D26 to Y2010-M12-D12 | Old Fire Hydrant - Nathan Road (in Old Fire Hydrant - Waterloo Rd) | Gwulo website | https://gwulo.com/comment/11822#comment-11822
Waterworks Office (British Hong Kong), Y1970-M12 to Y1971-M11 | HKRS287-1-685 Fire Hydrant - Mainland - Records of Installation, Removals, Changes of Position or Type | Public Records Office, Government Records Service (HKSAR Government)
"Octagonal hydrant" is just a direct translation from its official Chinese name. Its official English name used to be just Pedestal Hydrant, but calling it "Pedestal Hydrant" now will be confusing as Round Heads are also called "Pedestal Hydrant" in some sources, so I will just call this type "Octagonal" for now. I believe it might have gotten a suffix in the format of "Pedestal Hydrant ([insert suffix])" but you can learn more about that in this page.
The earliest photo showing "Octagonal hydrant" that I know of was taken in 1941 by Harrison Forman, which means the type as a whole is at least 85 years old. But as time passes, they are slowly being replaced by Round Heads, and now there are only twenty two extant "Octagonal hydrants" that I am aware of. There are two variants, with a hole on top and without hole.
Retired Octagonal hydrants that are statically displayed
Two "Octagonal hydrants" are retired and are being statically displayed, both of which have no markings. The red one is outside the entrance of the Fire and Ambulance Services Education Centre Cum Museum. The green one is numbered 360 and is inside North Point Fire Station, but 360 seems to be installed at a slightly different location in the Fire Station prior to its retirement. 360 has a hole on top.
Retired red Octagonal hydrant
outside the entrance of Fire and Ambulance Services Education Centre Cum Museum
Photo taken in Y2026-M05
Retired green Octagonal hydrant 360
North Point Fire Station
Photo taken in Y2026-M07
A plaque next to the retired green Octagonal hydrant 360
North Point Fire Station
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
Perspective-adjusted photo of the plaque next to the retired green Octagonal hydrant 360
North Point Fire Station
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
The plaque next to 360 gives a brief history of 360, "Octagonal hydrants" in general, and North Point Fire Station. Here is the Chinese transcript:
This fire hydrant (number 360) was the equipment of North Point Fire Station since it was built. Its appearance is similar to what is colloquially known as the "Pig Head fire hydrant", but its top section is shaped like an octagonal pyramid which houses the operating valve, hence it is also called the "Octagonal prism hydrant". However, this hydrant type is being phased out as time passes, now there are only a few left in Hong Kong.
North Point Fire Station was built between the end of 1950s and mid-1960s. Fire station design of that time period was that the fire stations were three storeys tall, with three firefighting vehicle parking slot on the ground floor and the top floor was the accommodation for officers^. There are seven fire stations of this design: North Point, Kwun Tong, Ma Tau Chung, Lai Chi Kok, Tsuen Wan, Yuen Long (former), Aberdeen (former).
^ I am not sure about the actual English title for that role, the original word 長官 can just mean a person who commands others, but not necessarily the top rank. So this might be referring to the firefighters who are higher in rank than ordinary firefighters, but it can also mean the head of the fire station.
North Point Fire Station, 2017
For those who are slightly confused, the "Pig Head" hydrant mentioned on the plaque was talking about Round Head hydrants. I personally think "Octagonal hydrants" don't really look like Round Heads...I mean yeah they both have one front nozzle and two side nozzles, but thats about it. Also, there are more than a few "Octagonal hydrants" in Hong Kong in 2026 - at least twenty on the streets, and the number would be higher in 2017.
Octagonal hydrants with a hole on top that are in service
Six out of twenty two "Octagonal hydrants" have holes on top: 360, 450, 451, 30143, 30222, 30225. I also showed 360 above so here are the photos of the other five. 450 was the only one of the six that is entirely above ground.
red Octagonal hydrant 450 with a hydraulic test box chained to it, but 450 is not being hydraulic tested when the photo was taken; that box was already there in 2020 but it seems 450 had never been hydraulic tested this whole time
Causeway Road at Queen's College
Photos taken in Y2026-M04
red Octagonal hydrant 451
Causeway Road opposite of tram stop 42W Victoria Park
Photos taken in Y2026-M04 and M09 respectively
red Octagonal hydrant 30143 (previously 65)
Hennessy Road at Canal Road East
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
red Octagonal hydrant 30222 (previously 461)
Hawthorn Road at Holly Road
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
red Octagonal hydrant 30225 (previously 123)
Village Road at Sing Woo Road
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
Octagonal hydrants without hole that are in service
Out of the fifthteen remaining "Octagonal hydrants" that I have not shown yet, a few of them stand out (based on what I know). Number 28489 is the only "Octagonal hydrant" that is entirely above ground. Number 28564 is the only one that still has a white band painted on the hydrant, which means 28564 is (or was) connected to a trunk main. Number 30089 is the only one that have all its caps painted blue, which I believe means they are currently not usable. 30089 had its caps painted blue at some point between Y2016-M12 and Y2019-M10. Number 27930's caps were temporarily painted blue at some point in mid-2026 but their caps had been painted red again by M09. Number 30142 is the only one that is inside a fire station and still in service. Number 30565 is the only one that is surrounded by tree roots.
red Octagonal hydrant 27930 (previously 114) when all its caps were temporarily painted blue
Yuen Ngai Street at Prince Edward Road West
Photo taken in Y2026-M08
red Octagonal hydrant 28485 (previously 50)
Kent Road at Somerset Road
Photo taken in Y2026-M06
red Octagonal hydrant 28486 (previously 51)
Somerset Road at Devon Road
Photo taken in Y2026-M03
red Octagonal hydrant 28489 (previously 48)
Suffolk Road near Kowloon Tong MTR station Exit A1
Photo taken in Y2026-M08
red Octagonal hydrant 28564 (previously 837) with a white band painted on the hydrant
Ho Tung Road at Boundary Street
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
red Octagonal hydrant 30053 (previously 105)
Electric Road at Yacht Street
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
red Octagonal hydrant 30089 (previously 134) with all caps painted blue
Shau Kei Wan Road at Tai Lok Street
Photo taken in Y2026-M07
red Octagonal hydrant 30142 is inside the fire station so it can be difficult to photograph
Wan Chai Fire Station
Photo taken in Y2026-M07
red Octagonal hydrant 30174
Leighton Road at Canal Road East
Photo taken in Y2026-M09
red Octagonal hydrant 30193 (previously 55)
Tung Lo Wan Road at Causeway Road
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
red Octagonal hydrant 30205 (previously 135)
Sing Woo Road at Yuen Yuen Street
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
red Octagonal hydrant 30565 (previously 97) is slowly being devoured by a tree
Eastern Street at High Street
Photo taken in Y2026-M09
red Octagonal hydrant 30747 (previously 276)
Wyndham Street opposite of Yu Yuet Lai Building
Photo taken in Y2026-M07
red Octagonal hydrant 31601 (previously 133), with a sixth generation Peak Tram set on the bridge over Kennedy Road in the background
Kennedy Road at Zetland Hall
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
red Octagonal hydrant 31631 (previously 126)
Queens Road East at Wan Chai Gap Road
Photo taken in Y2026-M04
I have a video showing "Octagonal hydrant" 31601 in the foreground and a 6th gen Peak Tram on the bridge over Kennedy Road in the background: https://youtu.be/3zIN9wTdL6I
