Water Backflow

It s compact modular design means easy maintenance with a single access cover for in line repairs.

Water backflow. Whenever a water utility connects a customer to its water distribution system the intention is for the water to flow from the distribution system to the customer. It can be a serious health risk for the contamination of potable water supplies with foul water. This is called back siphonage. Backflow occurs when the pressure in the distribution system drops siphoning water from the consumer s system into the distribution system.

In the most obvious case a toilet flush cistern and its water supply must be isolated from the toilet bowl. Backflow is prevented by controlling cross connections. Backflow prevention assemblies are devices that can be installed in your water system to prevent water from flowing back into the public water supply. When water enters your home from the main water supply line it should only ever flow in one direction.

Points at which a potable water system connects with a non potable water system are called cross connections. A backflow preventer is designed to keep this from happening. A cross connection is any actual or potential connection between a public or a consumer s potable water system and any other non potable liquid or gas. Backflow means the undesirable reversal of flow of a liquid gas or suspended solid into the potable water supply.

Backflow prevention assemblies are required by oregon law to be tested at least annually by a state certified tester. Some water customers have non potable materials on the premises under pressure. This double check valve assembly is designed to this double check valve assembly is designed to prevent the backflow of polluted water from entering into the potable water supply due to back siphonage and or backpressure. Contamination may occur when water flows through a cross connection from a non potable source such as a sprinkler system or heating and cooling unit into the potable water system.

There are more than 30 000 backflow prevention assemblies in use in the tucson water service area. The cross connection control backflow prevention program is a state mandated program designed to protect the public s drinking water from contamination by identifying and eliminating cross connections. For example backflow can happen when there s a break in the main water line or when a fire hydrant is opened for use. But sometimes due to pressure changes in the pipes that water can actually flow backwards and seep back into the main water supply line.

Backflow within the context of the drinking water industry means the reversal of water flow from its normal or intended direction of flow. For this reason building codes mandate a series of measures and backflow prevention devices to prevent backflow.