SAFE WATER FOR ALL PEOPLE

From the desk of Don E Austin
What is a Backflow Prevention Assembly? The short answer is that a properly functioning Backflow Prevention Assembly (Backflow Assembly or Backflow device) is designed to protect you, your family, neighbours, or co-workers from drinking polluted or contaminated water.

Backflow is caused by either back pressure or back siphonage from a buildings water to the municipal water supply. This can be caused by a water main break where there is a sudden loss of municipal water pressure and water flows backwards from your home or business to the potable water supply. Another cause is when the Fire Department connects to a hydrant and causes a drastic drop of water pressure while they are pumping water out or fighting a fire. This would affect a good number of homes or businesses connected to the water main in the area near the hydrant. High pressure pumps in homes or high-rise buildings can also very easily over power the municipal water pressure and cause backflow situations if a backflow preventer was not properly working or not in place. All of these situations could cause contaminated water to come in contact or mix with potable or clean drinking water. When any of the above situations are remedied, the contaminated water that is now on the water main will be sent through to the drinking water of the unsuspecting public.

If all water that was delivered to your building was guaranteed to always be clean we wouldn't have a problem with Backflow. The problem come into play with multiple (and always growing) contaminated water situations.
Fire Sprinkler Systems in most cases are filled with water ready for a fire emergency. This water can be sitting in these pipes for months or years. This stagnant water can cause sickness, if accidentally mixed with potable water.
Boiler systems normally have chemicals mixed with the water in the boiler to prevent corrosion. This water is extremely dangerous and toxic. There have been incidents where this water has been mixed with drinking water, and also accidentally introduced into dialysis machines when patients were undergoing treatments. Sickness and fatalities have occurred.

One of the most frequent occurrences of dangerous Backflow situations happens when people mix fertilizers or pesticides and leaves the hose in the bucket. While the hose is in the bucket with the mixing chemicals backflow can happen at any time. If there is a sudden loss of water pressure, these chemical mixes will back-siphon into the municipal water distributation network through your home or business. There have been recorded incidents where entire water systems have had to be replaced. Some chemicals can not simply be flushed out. Some chemicals bond to the piping and the only way to remove the chemical for the potable water piping is to remove and replace the entire pipe system.

If you have an Irrigation System, you should have a Backflow prevention device installed. This would be a small non-testable device on you irrigation system or on the incoming water source in your home of office. If you have a fertilizer injector connected to your irrigation system, a fire-sprinkler system in your building, a commercial car wash, any location that has a boiler, a building that uses pumps to deliver water, you have, or should have a different type of Backflow Device that should be tested at least once a year. Backflow Assemblies are mechanical devices. With constant water pressure and the containments in the water they can fail over time. They should be tested at least once a year. If you are in doubt if you need a Backflow Prevention Device please call your Water Jurisdiction.

Check with your local Water Jurisdiction for current codes and By-Laws.

Some Water Districts are currently building By-Laws that will cover Backflow Devices. Even though these Water Districts don't have By-Laws in place - yet, the owner of the property is still responsible for not releasing pollutants or contaminants into the public (Actually stolen from the web site of www.MicksIrrigation.com and the ABPA.org should get the credits! WE ALL FEEL THE SAME ABOUT WATER PROTECTION AND THE PUBLIC EDUCATION OF SUCH www.northtexasbackflow.com