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Water Enhancers

Water enhancers contain ingredients designed to alter the physical characteristics of water in order to increase its effectiveness, the accuracy of the drop, or adhesion to fuels. They also improve the ability of water to cling to vertical and smooth surfaces. Water enhancers depend on the water they contain to suppress the fire.

The WFCS “Water Enhancers Fact Sheet” provides an in depth description of water enhancers.

Specification

“Forest Service Specification FS 5100-306b” provides the specific requirements for qualifying water enhancers.

WFCS must first evaluate and approve water enhancers before they can be used on Federal lands. The process for fully evaluating products can take 18 to 24 months. We list these products on our QPL once we approve them.

Submission for Evaluation

If your company is interested in submitting water enhancers for us to evaluate, please contact our program. Refer to the document “Manufacturer Submission Procedures for Qualification Testing of Wildland Fire Chemical Products” for an overview of our submission procedures.

We require the following completed forms at the time of submission:

Product Testing

“Forest Service Specification FS 5100-306b” outlines the testing and requirements that water enhancers must meet before WFCS places them on our QPL. The Wildland Fire Chemicals Test Procedures web page outlines these test procedures and requirements.

Approved Products

The following links outline information about currently approved water enhancers and provide company contact information:

Environmental Health and Safety

WFCS evaluates water enhancers thoroughly to ensure human and ecological health and safety. We integrate risk assessments and environmental consultations into our testing and approval processes. Refer to the following links for more information about using Class A foam suppressants: