B A C K F L O W S
Mary Tranchell | SAAA Vice President | Vamvoras, Ltd.
“ Backflows? We Don’ t Need No Stinkin’ Backflow Devices!”
T here are a lot of things we assume in this country on a daily basis. A major assumption is that when we turn on a water faucet, the water flowing out will be clean, safe, potable water. No muss, no fuss, just turn on the faucet and take a drink.
Now picture this. Your landscaping company just laid fertilizer, and your residents aren’ t necessarily good about picking up after their dog’ s business. The sprinklers are on and, for some reason or other, the main water has to be shut down. The sprinkler head stays in the up position rather than dropping down, and it begins to siphon back the double“ fertilized” water around the sprinkler head. Depending where in the system this occurs, the water is siphoned back into the main. When the water is restored, that contaminated water is sent directly to the faucets that you assume has clean, safe, potable water. No muss, no fuss, right? This is an example of a low hazard, but there are high hazards as well, some lethal.
There are checks and controls throughout the water system to ensure the water delivered to you is clean and safe. One of those controls is the backflow device. A backflow device protects the potable drinking water from the backflow of contaminated water. When the flow of water is reduced or stopped, there are two discs( checks) that swing down and stop the water from back-flowing into the potable water. Water is trapped in the space between these two checks. When the water is restored, the trapped water continues on to the sprinklers or whatever it was serving. Depending on the degree of the hazard, there may be a valve that opens and dumps the trapped water, eliminating the contamination.
The Flint, Michigan water issues have really brought to light the need for controls and safe water. Even though Flint’ s issue was not caused by a backflow issue, it has made entities more aware of their programs and their responsibilities to the public to provide safe drinking water. The second notices that have been received throughout the SAWS customer base is their way of ensuring you receive safe drinking water.
While you may have never received a notice in the past, chances are strong that you have at least one backflow device on your property. If you have internal fire sprinklers, you have multiple.
If you have the following on your property, you should have a backflow preventer: in-ground lawn sprinklers( plastic rectangular box, near main meter or at buildings), inside fire suppression( inside sprinkler closet), pool fill line( with pool equipment), chiller system( mechanical room), a separate fire line for your fire hydrants( steel vault at property line), or newer buildings with 3 stories or more( mechanical closet). Older properties with 3 stories probably do not have devices as that is a newer code requirement.
I recommend you ask your maintenance staff if they are aware of the location of these devices as testing costs are usually for the test only, pass or fail. Not locating or, in some instances, excavating these devices.
The mass mailings of these notices from SAWS has caused a heightened awareness of everyone’ s responsibility for safe drinking water, and the need to keep these devices operational and tested. Believe it or not...
You DO Need a Stinkin’ Backflow Device!
www. saaaonline. org | May / June 2016 11