The testing of backflow prevention assemblies is something almost everyone working in the plumbing, mechanical, or water industry agrees is a necessary part of the protection the water supply. All three model plumbing codes state that assemblies should be tested when installed, when repaired, when relocated, or at a minimum on an annual schedule. Some jurisdictions require the testing of valves in certain situations on a quarterly basis.

As someone who spends most of my time training individuals to test and repair backflow prevention assemblies in many different areas of the United States, I have the ability to see how the industry is preforming in many different jurisdictions. If you are a plumbing, sprinkler, or mechanical contractor and you are not testing backflow preventers as part of the service you provide to your customers then you are doing both the customer and your business a disservice. Backflow prevention assemblies are found in both residential and commercial properties. They are located at the buildings water meter or service connection as containment protection required by the water supplier. They are also located within the buildings water system as required by the adopted plumbing code. Each of these assemblies is required to be tested on an annual basis. If you are not providing this service to your customers then another service company is. Do you really want another company working within your customers facility? I understand that training yourself or your employees to test backflow assemblies is an expensive prospect. There is also the cost of test equipment and recertification that needs to be considered.

However, the ability to provide your customer base with the services they need is a necessary business expense. It is also the right thing to do. Understanding how backflow occurs, what methods, devices, and assemblies are available to you for cross-connection control protection will make your people better trained and qualified individuals in everything they do.

There are some questions about what backflow assemblies should be tested. The plumbing codes are clear on this matter, they state that all testable backflow assemblies shall be tested, using at a minimum, the schedule we just discussed in the first paragraph. This means all backflow assemblies installed in the water systems as either containment or isolation protection in both residential or commercial installations. This is the most logical collusion in my opinion. If a hazard exists that makes the installation of a backflow prevention assembly necessary, then the testing and maintenance of the protection is necessary.

In many areas it is difficult to get residential property owners to understand the concept of backflow prevention and cross-connection control. It is also a difficult thing to tell this group that they will need, at their expense to have this protection installed and tested. However, if the protection is needed to protect the water supply then it needs to be tested and maintained. Backpressure or backsiphonage backflow will have the same result in a commercial or residential property. Commercial irrigation systems and residential irrigation systems face the same hazards. Remember the water is inside the pipe, it can’t tell what type of system or property it is entering and can’t see the flow arrows on the pipe. It’s a lazy fluid always following the path of least resistance.

Remember that the installation and testing of backflow prevention assemblies is not a new thing. The necessary protection and testing requirements have been listed in the model plumbing codes for many years. It is true that enforcement is lacking in some areas and requirements for testing may vary slightly in different jurisdictions. Becoming involved in cross-connection control can also provide business opportunities to contractors looking to expand their service offerings. Cross-connection surveys are required in many areas and having the personnel on staff trained and certified to conduct these surveys will allow your company to provide important services to both private and public institutions and to a wide range of consumers. It’s also the right service to provide to your customers. Protecting our drinking water supply is a mission each and everyone in the industry should endorse and embrace.

603.4.2 Testing. The premise owner or responsible person shall have the backflow prevention assembly tested by a certified backflow assembly tester at the time of installation, repair, or relocation and not less than on an annual schedule thereafter, or more often where required by the Authority Having Jurisdiction. The periodic testing shall be performed in accordance with the procedures referenced in ASSE Series 5000 by a tester qualified in accordance with those standards.

I believe that access to clean water is and should be basic human right for everyone in the United States and throughout the world. It is something that requires constant vigilance. Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control is a vital part of protecting our water supply. Public confidence in our water system and its safety has eroded because of the Flint, Michigan water crisis and other problems that have occurred in almost every part of our country. Every one of us in the industry needs to work to educate ourselves, our employees, our customers, and the public on the importance of protecting our water supply with the use of backflow prevention devices and assemblies. We also need to ensure the testing and maintenance of these valves by trained and certified individuals. Education and training has never been more important than it is today. We work in an every changing industry with new materials and joining systems becoming available at a rapid pace. Recycled water systems, rain water catchment, gray water, low flow fixtures, the list goes on and on as innovation and invention move forward quickly.  It is time to retool and retrain to provide the services needed. If your company is not providing backflow installation, testing, repair, and survey services now is the time to begin moving in that direction.