the "Kool Aid comes out instead of water" prank

Maybe they have access to a pump with a slow-release/sustained input of the powder. Tablets? If it's a sprinkler type set up- maybe the sprinkler could hold tablets.

If it's fiction - and presumably comedy as well it won't really matter so long as it's believable within the fictional world in which it takes place.

Are they near a swimming pool or in a recreational park with a fountain that maybe has a nearby accessible pump house?

Good luck.

First - are you wanting "real" koolaid, with the sugar and flavorings, or just some sort of food coloring or dye to change the color of the water?

My first thought was to add the color via the water heater somehow. Not a plumber, but I'm pretty sure you get a little water heater water every time you turn on the faucet. However, I'm not sure if you get water heater water when you use the hose.

I know that in my city, they will periodically dye the water in fountains to celebrate various local events, but I'm not sure how. I'll look into that and let you know if I find anything.

Depending on the volume of water coming out, five minutes is a LONG time. Your characters will need some way to time-delay the release of the dye, otherwise the first burst will be very dark and then everything else will be a very pale color at best.

Sugar-free kool-aid is essentially dye and a small amount of artificial sweetener, and is more dye-dense than regular kool-aid, but I think the powder would all disappear quickly unless they rigged up something specific. A better bet might be gel paste, which is often sold for things like frosting - it's got a lot of color in a concentrated area, and because it's gel it's more likely to stick around longer than powder would.

In any event, you're either going to need to have a TON of dye in a time-release mechanism, a lower-flow water situation than a regular hose, or a shorter period in which the water is dyed.

Over 40 years ago when I was in college, there was a stream running past my dorm -- and on St. Patrick's Day, it ran green. I was told that the students from the chemistry department did it every year -- but I never did find out how they got it to run green for hours. It was Central Washington University (at the time it was a college), so you might get in touch with someone there and see if they still do it and how.

Karen's situation is easy to answer. Place 55 gallon drum by side of stream and let it flow at X gallons per minute. Gallons per minute depends upon the strength of the dye into Y amount of water.

The problem with the original scenario is that they can't do it ahead of time. Basic approach is normally to put a T connection in and siphon/drip your dye into the main water flow.

But here we have to MacGyver the sucker. That's a lot harder to do.

However, here's an approach. Tap into the main stream, either by drilling a hole the size of a straw, or if the material is soft enough, by cutting a hole the size of a straw. Use gum as a seal for the straw. It's not going to be perfect, but it should work.

Place straw in closed container of dye. Container needs to be closed, other then the opening for the other end of the straw, which is again sealed with gum.

Start the main water flow. You should create a suction that sucks the dye into the main water flow at a controlled rate. You can pinch the straw to reduce the flow of dye. If suction doesn't work, you have to hold the dye container to where it flows into the main stream.

Length this will last depends upon strength of dye, rate of water flow, and flow rate of dye into water.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

If you can use a regular garden hose with a sprayer - there are attachments that go on those to add plant food/car wash/etc - I'm not sure if something like that would work.