The term "backflow" refers to water supplied from a pressured source that has flowed into a building, then flows backward, back into the water supply due to a sudden loss of pressure from the source. Backflow occurs at the point where the pressured water supply is connected to its destination, usually a building or a residential home connected to a municipal water supply with a meter located curbside.
A backflow prevention device is used to prevent contaminated water from flowing backward out of a building into a city water supply in the case of a sudden loss of pressure from a broken water main or natural disaster. Backflow prevention protects the potable water system from minor, moderate, and severe hazards. A check valve, or backflow prevention device, is a common form of backflow prevention.
Any house or building with a water supply or auxiliary water system. Any commercial or professional building with a sprinkler system, lab equipment, boiler, water storage tank, etc.
Water contamination from backflow into the municipal water supply can be fatal. There are over 10,000 reported cases of backflow contamination each year. In the USA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) holds local water suppliers responsible for maintaining a certain amount of purity in potable water systems. Backflow devices are required by law and must be installed in accordance with plumbing or building codes.
Many states and/or local municipalities require annual testing of backflow prevention devices. A backflow prevention device must also be tested if newly installed, relocated, or repaired.
Backflow prevention devices have to test valves for certified testing to ensure that they are functioning properly. A backflow prevention device must be tested annually by a certified backflow inspector such as BAJ Backflow & Plumbing.
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