Backflow for Your Home

PROTECTING YOUR HOME AND DRINKING WATER AGAINST CONTAMINATION

Every home has potential hazards that threaten to contaminate the drinking water system. These hazards are introduced to the water system through unprotected cross connections. Cross connections are connections between the public drinking water system and anything else, such as chemicals, gases, other liquids, and non drinking water systems.

These undesirable substances are brought into the drinking water system by backflow. Backflow is the undesirable reversal of the flow of water. This can occur when the city water system pressure drops below that of the customers home, and can siphon contaminants and pollutants back into the water system, like a soda straw effect. This can be caused by water line breaks, fire fighting activities and simply turning on a water tap located elsewhere in the home.

Common water usages where contamination can easily occur are your landscape sprinkling system, and threaded hose connections and garden hoses.

THREADED HOSE CONNECTIONS

Garden hoses have accounted for almost 80% of the documented backflow incidents in the nation. Garden hoses have many uses which can cause problems, such as chemical and fertilizer dispensers, cleaning out sewer systems, filling pools, ponds and animal troughs. Threaded hose connections are easy and inexpensive to correct by equipping each threaded hose connection with a hose bib vacuum breaker. Hose bib vacuum breakers can be found at most home and garden stores.

LANDSCAPE SPRINKLING SYSTEMS

Landscape sprinkling systems also pose another potential problem for water system contamination, such as fertilizers, weed killers and animal waste backflowing into the drinking water system. ALL landscaping sprinkling systems, new or existing, MUST BE equipped with backflow protection that is approved and protects the health of your families and neighbors. There are various types of backflow prevention devices and assemblies that are approved.

If you have questions or concerns regarding backflow prevention, please contact the
Sandy City Public Utilities Department Cross Connection Specialist at 801-352-4402.