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| WHAT IS BACKFLOW? |
MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD Our water supply is our lifeline. We literally cannot survive without it, and we cannot take it for granted. When we open a faucet, we need to be confident that the water we drink, bathe in, or cook with is the purest possible. The City of Ames is committed to providing water to its citizens that will meet their high expectations. Changes are occurring in the laws that govern water, and we want our customers to have the chance to be informed. DRINKING FROM THE COMMUNITY WELL Two hundred years ago, we drew water from community wells. Everyone in the community helped to protect that well. In spite of all the changes in technology, we are still very close in many ways to that community well. We still need to protect our water. By protecting the water, we are protecting our community, our businesses, our neighbors, our friends, and our families. IOWA REQUIRES CONTAINMENT The Iowa state plumbing code requires cities with a population of 15,000 or greater to enact a backflow prevention program with a containment system. (Backflow is defined as the unwanted reversal of flow in a drinking water system.) The purpose of a containment system is to protect the quality of drinking water from the time it leaves the water treatment plant until it reaches your home. This means the water at your home meets the same standards as those at the water plant. Many of the affected cities in Iowa have implemented their containment programs, including: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City. We are committed to keeping our customers informed about backflow prevention. Backflow prevention needs to be proactive, not reactive. We are implementing this program not only because it is a state mandate, but also because we intend to prevent accidents such as someone getting a chemical burn in the shower, or a house burning down, or a washing machine exploding, or having soapy water coming out of a faucet. These are actual accidents that were directly caused by backflow. |
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| Backflow simply means that water flows backward into the water distribution system. When backflow occurs it is usually caused when the pressure in an specific plumbing system is higher than the water pressure in the distribution system. This could be because the distribution system pressure drops (this happens when there is a water main break) or the plumbing system is at a higher pressure than the distribution system. Water wants to go from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. When the distribution system is the low pressure area, there is a possibility of toxic chemicals flowing into the water mains. | |||
| WHAT IS CONTAINMENT? | |||
| Containment is a method of preventing backflow by installing a backflow prevention assembly right after the water meter. Backflow can occur because of a drop in water pressure or because of a back pressure. A backflow prevention assembly is designed to stop backflow. | |||
| CONTAINMENT METHODS | |||
| Examples of backflow prevention devices include the following:
- Double Check valve assembly (DC) - Reduced Pressure principle backflow prevention assembly (RP) - Air Gap separation |
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Click
here to learn more about these various types of devices. (NOTE: You will
exit the City of Ames web site by following this link and go to the University of
California's Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research web
page. You can return here by clicking the "back" button on your browser.) The DC and the RP are testable devices. They can be tested without removing them from the line in which they are installed. A DC is approved for use where the fluids which may backflow do not pose a health threat, such as milk backflowing from a dairy. An RP protects whether the fluids pose a health threat or a non-health threat. The RP is similar to the DC, but it also has a relief valve which opens to discard the water that has flowed back. |
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| TESTING | |||
| Backflow prevention assemblies must be tested when they are installed and at least once per year after that. This testing, done by a registered backflow prevention assembly tester, ensures that the assembly is still working properly. Testing is a big part of what makes backflow prevention work. | |||
| WHAT'S BEING DONE IN AMES? | |||
| The City of Ames has implemented a containment program. The first step was
to enact an ordinance for the program that will clarify who needs to purchase and install
a containment assembly and what is acceptable. The next step was to conduct a survey of those water users who may pose a potential danger to the water system because of the nature of the materials they handle and the type of activities at their location. The survey will be used to verify the potential for backflow from a particular customer and the degree of hazard associated with such backflow. |
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| Click Here for real life examples of backflow problems. | |||
| BACKFLOW PREVENTION IN THE HOME | |||
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Many of the Water uses in the home have the proper
protection against backflow already built in. The spout on a
bathtub is installed higher than the side of the tub to keep
the spout from being submerged even if the tub is
overflowing. This provides an air gap to prevent backflow.
Almost all baths and faucets have an air gap, along with
clothes washers and dishwashers. The plumbing code requires fill valves to have a vacuum breaker to prevent backflow. A vacuum breaker allows air into a line to "break the vacuum;" this stops water from being siphoned out of the toilet tank. To be sure the fill valve has this vacuum breaker, look for the letters UPC (Uniform Plumbing Code) on the valve. Faucets for garden hoses (hose bibbs) also need vacuum breakers. Most of the hose bibbs installed in the last 15 years have vacuum breakers built in. If yours does not have a built in vacuum breaker, one can easily be added. They can be purchased at most hardware and plumbing supply stores. For more information on bibbs and how they work click here. |
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| WHO CAN I TALK TO FOR MORE INFORMATION |
Scott Cunningham 300 E. 5th St. Bldg. 2 Ames, Iowa 50010 Phone 515-239-5151 FAX 515-239-5251 |
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| Scott Cunningham is the Cross-Connection Control Coordinator for the City of
Ames. If you have questions about what types and levels of backflow protection is
required in Ames, Scott is the person to ask. cunningham@city.ames.ia.us |
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| PLEASE
SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS FOR IMPLEMENTING A BACKFLOW PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR AMES! |
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