Backflow Education

Welcome to Backflow Academy, where we provide comprehensive training and resources to help you master the complexities of backflow management. Whether you’re a professional in the water industry, a property manager, or a business owner, our academy equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the intricate regulations and technical aspects of backflow prevention. Through practical insights and up-to-date compliance guidance, Backflow Academy empowers you to protect your water systems effectively, ensuring safety and compliance at every step.

What is Backflow?

Typically, water will flow from the public water supply to the consumer’s plumbing distribution system. Backflow is the undesirable reversal of this flow of water and undesirable substances from the non-potable source to the potable source.

Why is backflow testing important?

Backflow testing is crucial for protecting public health and ensuring the safety of drinking water. Regular backflow testing is a simple yet essential step in maintaining a safe water supply and preventing contamination that could endanger both public health and infrastructure.

A compromised backflow prevention system can lead to serious health risks, such as the spread of diseases or the ingestion of harmful chemicals. Testing these systems regularly helps prevent these potential dangers, ensuring safe water for households, businesses, and communities.

When backflow prevention devices fail, the cost to repair or replace them can be high, especially if water contamination causes additional damage to plumbing systems or infrastructure. Routine backflow testing helps detect potential issues early, preventing costly damage and ensuring your system operates efficiently.

Contaminated water flowing back into the main supply can damage the infrastructure of public water systems. By conducting regular backflow testing, you reduce the risk of widespread contamination that can lead to expensive infrastructure repairs and disruptions in the water supply.

Backflow occurs when the normal flow of water is reversed, potentially causing non-potable (contaminated) water to mix with clean, drinking water. This can introduce harmful substances like chemicals, bacteria, or waste into the potable water supply. Regular backflow testing ensures that backflow prevention devices, such as check valves, are functioning properly, preventing contaminated water from entering the clean water system.

A backflow prevention device helps regulate water pressure in a system, preventing sudden drops that could lead to contamination. Ensuring these devices are properly maintained through testing supports consistent and safe water pressure throughout a property.

Municipalities and water authorities require annual backflow testing for businesses, residential properties, and public facilities. Ensuring that your backflow prevention devices are tested and functioning properly not only protects the water supply but also keeps you compliant with local, state, and federal regulations. Failure to comply can result in fines, penalties, or legal consequences.

What is Cross-connection?

A cross-connection is any actual or potential connection between the public or consumer’s potable water system and any non-potable source or substance that present a hazard to the quality of the public or consumer’s potable water system. Therefore, cross-connection control is the management or “control” of these cross-connections to protect public safety by preventing backflow incidents within the public or water consumer’s potable water system.

How are cross-connections protected to prevent backflow incidents from occurring?

Ensuring the prevention of backflow incidents is crucial for maintaining water safety standards. Protection against cross-connections relies on two primary methods: containment and isolation. The most effective strategy involves a balanced combination of both containment and isolation measures, working together seamlessly.

Containment safeguards are strategically placed at the consumer’s water service or meter. This robust defense system covers the entire facility, effectively shielding the public water supply from potential contaminants lurking within the consumer’s plumbing system. However, it’s essential to understand that containment measures focus solely on safeguarding against external cross-connections and may not address risks within the facility itself.

In contrast, isolation methods are deployed within the consumer’s facility. These proactive measures serve as internal safeguards, precisely identifying and isolating hazards at specific points of use. By doing so, isolation measures offer comprehensive protection to individuals within the facility, preventing the infiltration of contaminants or pollutants into their internal plumbing systems.

Do backflow incidents really happen?

YES!

Are all backflow incidents the same?

No, depending on the non-potable source or what the substance is, cross-connections are generally classified as high hazard or low hazard. Since there is no consensus, standards for defining and differentiating between a high and low hazard, each state (and on occasion the local public water supply) will define for themselves the criteria for each hazard. However, there is a commonality among the definitions.

What causes backflow incidents to occur?

Backpressure

Backpressure is created when the pressure within the customer’s system becomes greater than the water supply pressure. Elevated tanks, heating systems and booster pumps are some of the main causes of backpressure.

Backsiphonage

Backsiphonage is created when there is a negative or reduced pressure in the water supply main. Water main breaks or hydrant flushing are two of the main causes of backsiphonage.

How can you Prevent Backflow Incidents?

Backflow prevention methods can be implemented either at the service meter (containment protection) or at the point of use (isolation protection). These methods fall into four basic categories: elimination, backflow devices, backflow assemblies, and the air gap. Elimination is the removal of a cross-connection if a hazard is no longer in use or improperly plumbed. Backflow devices are mechanical units without inlet or outlet shutoff valves and do not have test cocks, meaning they cannot be tested inline and are not USC approved. On the other hand, backflow assemblies are also mechanical units but come equipped with shutoff valves and test cocks for easy testing and are approved for use in preventing backflow.

 

An air gap is a simple yet essential backflow prevention method that creates a vertical, unobstructed space between the end of the potable water supply pipe and the flood level or overflow rim of a non-pressure receiving fixture or container. This space must be at least twice the diameter of the water inlet piping, with a minimum of 1 inch, though some local regulations cap the air gap at 12 inches. While effective at preventing backflow, the drawback of an air gap is that it eliminates city water supply pressure, requiring either gravity or a booster pump to move water to its intended point of use.

Backflow Assembly Testing FAQ

No! Backflow assemblies must be tested by qualified individuals who have obtained the proper certifications pertaining to cross-connection and backflow assembly testing procedures. Each state (or possibly the local jurisdiction) establish their own criteria and procedures for issuing certifications. Along with the state issued certifications, several industry trade associations (USCFHRR, ASSE, TREEO, ABPA) offer training courses and certifications in the proper techniques for testing backflow prevention assemblies.

A qualified professional in your jurisdiction will utilize a Backflow Preventer Test Kit. The Backflow Preventer Test Kit is a compact portable device that measures differential pressure and is used for all testing of backflow prevention assemblies, i.e. DCVA, RP, PVB and SVB types. Depending on the model, test kits come equipped with either 3 or 5 soft seated needle valves. Equipped with a full-face scale, the kit can measure a range of 0-15 psid (psi differential). Test kits are equipped with three color-coded service hoses with inline filters for connecting the test kit to the backflow prevention assembly.

Manufacturers of backflow assemblies and most regulating authorities require annual testing. Backflow assemblies are a mechanical device. Just like maintenance on a car with regular oil changes, a backflow assembly has to be checked to ensure it is functioning properly.

Yes! If a backflow assembly fails the test and does not meet standard, the assembly must be repaired. The water purveyor determines the time required to have the repairs made. The plumbing code and cross-connection regulations will specify what the qualifications and credentials are that may be required for the individual performing the repair.

Everyone involved in backflow prevention, including the water purveyor, local plumbing authority, water consumers, and those performing installation, testing, and repairs, shares responsibility in maintaining a successful cross-connection control program. Here’s an easier breakdown of each role

Water Purveyor’s Responsibilities:

  • Develop and enforce an ordinance that complies with state cross-connection regulations.
  • Conduct on-site facility surveys to identify hazards and determine the necessary backflow protection.
  • Keep detailed records of all surveys and maintain an inventory of backflow assemblies (and devices, in some areas).
  • Create a testing schedule for all backflow assemblies.
  • Notify water consumers when their assemblies are due for testing.
  • Collect and store all test reports.
  • Take enforcement action if there is non-compliance.

Individuals Installing, Testing, or Repairing Backflow Assemblies:

  • Must have the required credentials to install, test, and maintain assemblies.
  • Ensure testing equipment is properly calibrated.
  • Follow the correct procedures for testing and repairing backflow assemblies.
  • Accurately document assembly details like hazard, size, make, model, serial number, and location.
  • Record the results of each backflow test and submit reports to the water purveyor on time.
  • Provide a copy of the test results to the water consumer for their records.

Local Plumbing Authority’s Responsibilities:

  • Implement and enforce local plumbing codes to ensure cross-connection control.

Water Consumers’ Responsibilities:

  • Prevent unprotected cross-connections and maintain any backflow protection within their facility.
  • Ensure backflow assemblies are tested and maintained according to the water purveyor’s schedule by hiring qualified personnel.