Cross connection backflow prevention testing

• Keeping potable water clean by keeping contamination out.

How can potable water be contaminated when it is under pressure?

It is not always under pressure, for example: if the main water supply became ruptured, you may have seen news stories where a sinkhole forms from a rupture in a large water main, or in case of a fire, the fire truck will hook up to a fire hydrant and with large engines pump water out of the mains in order to fight the fire. 

These scenarios can create reduced pressure or loss of pressure. If a garden hose was left in a swimming pool at your property for example, the water from the pool could literally be sucked into the water supply which would contaminate the potable supply to yourself and others.

Backflow prevention is a system of air gaps, vacuum breakers, check valves etc., and also testable backflow devices that have to be checked once a year to make sure they are working properly, all for the purpose of keeping potable water free of backflow contamination.

These testable devices often are premise isolation meaning they are located to control all the water entering the premise.

• Some jurisdictions require annual testing where test reports must be submitted to authorities.  
• Some jurisdictions do not require paperwork to be submitted but if you have these devices they are still required to be tested annually.

Radiant heating systems require backflow prevention. Generally where potable water is used in the system a dual check atmospheric port (dcap) which does not require annual testing is sufficient. In some cases where antifreeze is in the system an rpba may have been used which requires annual testing.

Canadian radiant design is qualified to test these units and offers a service for annual testing on any testable backflow prevention assemblies.

 Testable Backflow Assemblies