About Backflow, You should Know

We recently got a lot of booking requests to do backflow tests. The residents at Union County and Mecklenburg County are getting mail from the counties asking for a backflow test. The Federal Safe Drinking Act and the North Carolina Drinking Water Act came into force in 2022, the counties in NC are gradually implementing the law. That is why the test requirement mails are sent recently.

The county water authority gives them 45 days or so to finish the tests and lists approved testers on their website. We are one of the testers.

Some customers are wondering what backflow prevention system is for and why it needs to be tested. There are some FAQs.

The backflow prevention system is a device that prevents back flowing from a source of contamination or pollution to the public water supply, protecting against possible contamination of the public water system.

The County requires that all commercial and industrial water customers have backflow prevention devices on their basic water service as well as their irrigation systems and fire lines. Residential customers with irrigation systems must have backflow protection.

Mechanical backflow prevention system are an assembly with springs and moving parts. Over time with continuous wear, these assemblies will fail or need parts replaced. When an assembly fails, it is no longer effective in preventing backflow from occurring. In order to ensure that the required backflow prevention system is kept in working condition, residential backflow devices should be tested biennially and commercial backflow devices should be tested annually.  After installation or every repair, and after a device has been relocated, the test needs to be done immediately.

County water authority requires that a backflow prevention device can only be installed by a licensed plumber and tested by a certified tester after installation. We are proud that we are both of them. Call us 704-448-6884 to get the job done quickly and correctly!