Water cannon
Encyclopedia
A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-pressure stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of metres / hundreds of feet. They are used in firefighting and riot control
. Most water cannon fall under the category of a fire monitor.
s. Extinguishing fires on boats and buildings near the water was much more difficult and dangerous before fireboats were invented. The first fireboat deployed in Los Angeles
was commissioned on August 1, 1919. The first fireboat in New York City
was Marine 1, deployed February 1, 1891. There may have been other fireboats elsewhere even earlier.
Fire trucks
deliver water with much the same force and volume of force as a water cannon, and have even been used in riot control situations, but are rarely referred to as water cannon outside this context.
Truck-based water cannon were used widely in the United States during the 1960s for riot control. Although they were safer than a combination of firearm
s, tear gas, and batons
, their use as a non-lethal riot control mechanism has fallen out of favor in the United States.
Since then, other higher-tech non-lethal weapons have been developed for domestic use. Whether these newer weapons are more effective and safer than water cannon remains controversial. Their competing vendors disagree as to which is more effective and safer.
Water cannon designed for riot control are still made in the United States and the United Kingdom, but most product is exported, particularly to Africa and parts of Asia. In the case of the UK there are only 6 water cannons, all held by the Police Service of Northern Ireland
, their use in England and Wales would require the authorisation of Parliament (or in the case of Scotland, the Scottish Parliament). The most modern versions do not expose the operator to the riot, and are controlled remotely from within the vehicle by a joystick
. These vehicles can carry 8000 litres (1,759.8 imp gal) of water, and have a delivery rate of 15 L/s. The water can be delivered as a continuous stream, or in pulses; as a hard jet or as a spray.
The State of New South Wales
in Australia purchased a water cannon in 2007, with a view to using it during an APEC meeting in Sydney
that year. It was not used. It was the first purchase of a water cannon in Australia.
Water cannons are still in use on a large scale in Germany, Northern Ireland, Belgium and other parts of Europe. The annual riots on May 1 in Berlin, the Schanzenfest fair in Hamburg, which regularly ends in riots, or other demonstrations, are usually accompanied by water cannon, which support riot police. German communities use their water cannon in hot summers to water public parks.
Anecdotal reports indicate that people can walk away from an encounter with a water cannon with serious internal injuries such as a ruptured spleen
. If such injuries are ignored, death could occur later. A high pressure modern water cannon can achieve pressure of up to 30 bars (3,000,000 Pa) which can result in broken bones.
On September 30th 2010, during a protest demonstration against the Stuttgart 21 project
in Germany, a demonstrator was hit in the face by a water cannon. The eye injuries thus inflicted on the man resulted in near-complete loss of eyesight. Graphic imagery was recorded of the event, sparking a national debate about police brutality
and proportionality in the use of state force.
According to a report issued in the United Kingdom, using plastic bullet
s instead of water cannon was justified because the latter "are inflexible and indiscriminate", although several people had previously been killed or seriously injured by plastic bullets.
s has had a significant impact on water cannon use. There is much pressure on police departments to avoid bad publicity, and water cannon often play badly in the press. It is considered that this is a likely reason that they are not used more often in certain countries.
Confrontations that took place in the era of the American Civil Rights Movement where water cannon were used by authorities to disperse crowds of protesting African American
s, has led to the demise of water cannon in the United States.
was reportedly added to the water used by Indonesian police to disperse a riot. The implication is that they might use this mark to make it easier to arrest rioters later. The United Kingdom, which had sold the water cannon to Indonesia, condemned this practice, (although the Royal Ulster Constabulary
had used a water cannon with purple dye during The Troubles
in Northern Ireland
) but later approved the sale of further water cannon to them. Most modern water cannon are also capable of adding tear gas to the stream.
Although referred to as an electrified water cannon
, this experiment involved a water jet much less powerful than a water cannon.
speed, the pressure that it is delivered at, and to a lesser extent the total volume that can be delivered. They are also generally portable. The method of employment is also important in labelling a device a water cannon. Nevertheless, the distinction between a water cannon and other similar devices is fuzzy. For example:-
Riot control
Riot control refers to the measures used by police, military, or other security forces to control, disperse, and arrest civilians who are involved in a riot, demonstration, or protest. Law enforcement officers or soldiers have long used non-lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds...
. Most water cannon fall under the category of a fire monitor.
Firefighting
Water cannons were first devised for use on fireboatFireboat
A fireboat is a specialized watercraft and with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipment....
s. Extinguishing fires on boats and buildings near the water was much more difficult and dangerous before fireboats were invented. The first fireboat deployed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
was commissioned on August 1, 1919. The first fireboat in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
was Marine 1, deployed February 1, 1891. There may have been other fireboats elsewhere even earlier.
Fire trucks
Fire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
deliver water with much the same force and volume of force as a water cannon, and have even been used in riot control situations, but are rarely referred to as water cannon outside this context.
Riot control
The first truck-mounted water cannon were used for riot control in Germany in the beginning of the 1930s.Truck-based water cannon were used widely in the United States during the 1960s for riot control. Although they were safer than a combination of firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s, tear gas, and batons
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
, their use as a non-lethal riot control mechanism has fallen out of favor in the United States.
Since then, other higher-tech non-lethal weapons have been developed for domestic use. Whether these newer weapons are more effective and safer than water cannon remains controversial. Their competing vendors disagree as to which is more effective and safer.
Water cannon designed for riot control are still made in the United States and the United Kingdom, but most product is exported, particularly to Africa and parts of Asia. In the case of the UK there are only 6 water cannons, all held by the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
, their use in England and Wales would require the authorisation of Parliament (or in the case of Scotland, the Scottish Parliament). The most modern versions do not expose the operator to the riot, and are controlled remotely from within the vehicle by a joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
. These vehicles can carry 8000 litres (1,759.8 imp gal) of water, and have a delivery rate of 15 L/s. The water can be delivered as a continuous stream, or in pulses; as a hard jet or as a spray.
The State of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in Australia purchased a water cannon in 2007, with a view to using it during an APEC meeting in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
that year. It was not used. It was the first purchase of a water cannon in Australia.
Water cannons are still in use on a large scale in Germany, Northern Ireland, Belgium and other parts of Europe. The annual riots on May 1 in Berlin, the Schanzenfest fair in Hamburg, which regularly ends in riots, or other demonstrations, are usually accompanied by water cannon, which support riot police. German communities use their water cannon in hot summers to water public parks.
Safety
Water cannons in use during the 1960s, which were generally adapted fire trucks, would knock protesters down and on occasion, tear their clothes.Anecdotal reports indicate that people can walk away from an encounter with a water cannon with serious internal injuries such as a ruptured spleen
Spleen
The spleen is an organ found in virtually all vertebrate animals with important roles in regard to red blood cells and the immune system. In humans, it is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood in case of hemorrhagic shock...
. If such injuries are ignored, death could occur later. A high pressure modern water cannon can achieve pressure of up to 30 bars (3,000,000 Pa) which can result in broken bones.
On September 30th 2010, during a protest demonstration against the Stuttgart 21 project
Stuttgart 21
Stuttgart 21 is an urban development and under construction transport project in Stuttgart as part of the Stuttgart–Augsburg new and upgraded railway project in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in Germany. It consists of the replacement of the tracks and platforms of Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof, the city's...
in Germany, a demonstrator was hit in the face by a water cannon. The eye injuries thus inflicted on the man resulted in near-complete loss of eyesight. Graphic imagery was recorded of the event, sparking a national debate about police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
and proportionality in the use of state force.
According to a report issued in the United Kingdom, using plastic bullet
Plastic bullet
A plastic bullet or plastic baton round is a non-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun. Although designed as a non-lethal weapon they have still caused several deaths. They are generally used for riot control...
s instead of water cannon was justified because the latter "are inflexible and indiscriminate", although several people had previously been killed or seriously injured by plastic bullets.
Media effect
The presence of the media at riotRiot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
s has had a significant impact on water cannon use. There is much pressure on police departments to avoid bad publicity, and water cannon often play badly in the press. It is considered that this is a likely reason that they are not used more often in certain countries.
Confrontations that took place in the era of the American Civil Rights Movement where water cannon were used by authorities to disperse crowds of protesting African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s, has led to the demise of water cannon in the United States.
Dye
In 1997, pink dyeDye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
was reportedly added to the water used by Indonesian police to disperse a riot. The implication is that they might use this mark to make it easier to arrest rioters later. The United Kingdom, which had sold the water cannon to Indonesia, condemned this practice, (although the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
had used a water cannon with purple dye during The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) but later approved the sale of further water cannon to them. Most modern water cannon are also capable of adding tear gas to the stream.
Electrified water cannon
Jaycor Tactical Systems was experimenting, in 2004, with additives (salt and additives to reduce the breakup of the stream into droplets) that would allow electricity to be conducted through water. They have demonstrated delivery from a distance of up to twenty feet (6 m), but have not yet tested the device on people.Although referred to as an electrified water cannon
Electrified water cannon
This was a non-lethal weapon under early research by Jaycor Tactical Systems, as part of a program to produce non-lethal weapons for law enforcement officers. It is sometimes referred to as the electrocuting water cannon; however, the proposal was for low current, high voltage pulses like those...
, this experiment involved a water jet much less powerful than a water cannon.
Other types
Water cannon differ from other similar devices in the volume of water delivered in a given time, the nozzleNozzle
A nozzle is a device designed to control the direction or characteristics of a fluid flow as it exits an enclosed chamber or pipe via an orifice....
speed, the pressure that it is delivered at, and to a lesser extent the total volume that can be delivered. They are also generally portable. The method of employment is also important in labelling a device a water cannon. Nevertheless, the distinction between a water cannon and other similar devices is fuzzy. For example:-
- Pressure washerPressure washerA pressure washer is a high pressure mechanical sprayer that can be used to remove loose paint, mold, grime, dust, mud, and dirt from surfaces and objects such as buildings, vehicles, and concrete road surfaces. The volume of a pressure washer is expressed in Gallons Per Minute, which is designed...
s generally produce an extremely high pressure stream where the power of the stream drops off significantly over a very short distance. - Water pistols and other toys deliver much less water at a much lower pressure with a much lower volume of water.
- Ultra high pressure water jet cutterWater jet cutterA water jet cutter, also known as a waterjet, is a tool capable of slicing into metal or other materials using a jet of water at high velocity and pressure, or a mixture of water and an abrasive substance. The process is essentially the same as water erosion found in nature but greatly accelerated...
s are used to cut a wide variety of materials including graniteGraniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, concrete (see hydrodemolitionHydrodemolitionHydrodemolition is a concrete removal technique which utilizes high-pressure water to remove deteriorated and sound concrete as well as asphalt and grout. This process provides an excellent bonding surface for repair material and new coating applications...
), ceramicCeramicA ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
s, fabric and even KevlarKevlarKevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
. One such cutter delivers 55000 psi (379.2 MPa) through a nozzle 0.003 inch (8 micrometreMicrometreA micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
s) in diameter at 1 kilometre per second. This can cut a person in half at close range. There are reports of accidental deaths involving the industrial use of high-pressure water.
Other meanings
The name "watercannon" has also been used for:-- Similar land vehicles used for firefighting
- Various large toys, for example images http://www.uberreview.com/2006/03/rechargeable-watercraft-with-motorized-water-canon.htm http://www.alton-towers.co.uk/waterpark/images/guide_watercannon.jpg http://www.ragingrapids.co.za/access/watercannons.htm
- Waterjet in hydraulic miningHydraulic miningHydraulic mining, or hydraulicking, is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold.-Precursor - ground...
- A type of railway wagon used to remove fallen leavesLeaves-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
off the track: e.g. seen at Alexandra Palace on the 25 October 2003 - Tool for powerwashing large construction equipment. See riveer.com for images, details and video
