CROSS CONNECTION AND BACKFLOW PREVENTION
Applicable Laws: Federal Public Law 99-339 (Safe Drinking Water Act and Amendments of 1986.) Utah Code 19-4-101 to 113 (Safe Drinking Water Act)
19-4-112 (2)(d) “ There shall be no cross connection between the potable and nonpotable water systems”.
Utah Public Drinking Water Rules, Section R309-102-5
“The water supplier shall not allow a connection to his system which may jeopardize its quality or integrity.”
DEFINITION: CROSS CONNECTION – Any actual or potential connection between a potable water system and any other source or system through which it is possible to introduce into the public drinking water system any possible pollutant or contaminant.
An example would be the end of a garden hose that could be put into various different situations, such as a landscape pond, animal watering trough, sewer clean out, wading pool, chemical sprayer or even connected to a secondary sprinkling system, etc. As long as there is positive pressure on the drinking water supply, there is no reversal of the direction of the flow (backflow). However, if the water main is shut down or a drop in pressure occurs due to power failure, water line construction or repair, line break, frozen line, etc. backflow could occur due to back-siphonage.
BACK FLOW PREVENTION DEVICES MUST BE ATTACHED TO ALL POTENTIAL CROSS CONNECTIONS
DEFINITION: BACKFLOW PREVENTER – A device or process that prevents impurities or contaminants from being drawn into the drinking water supply. There are non-testable and testable backflow preventers.
Hose Bibb Vacuum Breaker (HVB): Non-Testable – Needed on all hose connections, HVBs are fairly inexpensive and easy to install. They can be purchased where plumbing supplies are sold. For best results, get a “freeze proof, self-draining hose bibb vacuum breaker”
(Note: Many new homes have bibb vacuum breakers already installed on all hose connections but most older homes do not.)
Pressure Vacuum Breaker (PVB): Testable – Typically found on underground water sprinkling systems, the PVB is a backflow preventer which is equipped with “test ports”. Plumbing code requires annual testing of the PVB by a certified backflow inspector. Underground swimming pools also require a testable backflow preventer (PVB).
To ensure water quality and for the protection of our customers, the BRWCD reserves the right to inspect all connections to our system for possible cross connections.