Cross Connection Control Program
Think about this: You’re treating your lawn with a sprayer that has a pesticide or herbicide container attached. At the same time, the water main that serves your neighborhood breaks.
Drinking water normally flows in one direction; however, in certain circumstances it can flow in the opposite direction, or backflow. When backflow occurs, water runs backwards through your pipes and into the public drinking water system. If the water flows backwards it could contain something that could contaminate our community’s drinking water. Any contaminant in contact with the end of your garden hose may wind up in your water piping if there is a drop in pressure in the water mains.
A garden hose submerged in a hot tub, swimming pool, car radiator, or attached to an insect/fertilizer sprayer could siphon the liquid back into the water main. Backflow prevention devices are designed to protect the public water system from these types of occurrences.
What is Cross Connection?
A cross connection is defined as any actual or potential physical connection between a public water system or the customer’s water system and source of non-potable liquid, solid or gas that could contaminate the public water system by backflow. Cross Connection Control protects public health by requiring the installation of backflow prevention assemblies at all cross connections. These assemblies must be registered with the District and tested annually by a certified backflow assembly tester (BAT). Cross connection can exist in all plumbing systems; therefore the District operates and maintains a Cross Connection Control Program. This program helps reduce the risk of contaminates entering into the public water supply by monitoring cross connections and backflow protection..
How does backflow happen?
Backflow is a flow reverse from normal direction of flow in a piping system. It occurs due to a differential pressure existing between two different points within a distribution system; water of higher pressure flowing to water of lower pressure. Backflow may occur due to either Backsiphonage or Backpressure.
BACKSIPHONAGE – is backflow caused by a negative pressure (vacuum or partial vacuum) in the supply piping. Backsiphonage occurs when system pressure is reduced below atmospheric pressure.
BACKPRESSURE – is backflow caused by pressure in the customer’s plumbing being greater than the pressure in the water supply piping
How to protect from backflow?
Backflow can be prevented in two ways, either through installation of:
For further information regarding cross connection, please contact the Cross Connection Specialist at Covington Water District 253-631-0565 ext (173).