Page IV, Archived News & Articles.....
Any comments or
questions about this site, can be
The BACKFLOW PREVENTION TECHZONE is a regularly
updated compendium of backflow prevention / drinking water
related resource materials & information links collected from
around the world. Recent to archived news stories' excerpts, and web
site reviews are this collection's focus, for anyone involved or
interested in the safety of potable water distribution systems, and backflow
prevention or cross connection control programs. Backflow
prevention or cross-connection
control education and training, for waterworks personnel,
public health and municipal officials, architects, engineers, contractors,
plumbers, backflow preventer testers, and students of all ages, are the
central point of a series of references and links to basic
through advanced technical information about the appropriate use and
correct installation of drinking water system backflow preventer
devices. Why they are essential to drinking water plumbing safety and
our health will be explored extensively. Historical to current
web page links, information, ideas, and techniques from around the world,
related to backflow prevention and cross connection control between potable
water plumbing, and drainage or non-potable systems, as well as other safe
drinking water supply issues encompass the aim of the Backflow
Prevention TechZone......
Backlash over letter on
backflow device "Some condo owners upset, but city sees a water-safety issue...
Ron Jackson and the other owners of his
four-unit Pacific Beach condominium got an expensive letter in the mail this
month. The letter, from the
city's Water Department, said the building needed to install a backflow
plumbing device by Feb. 1. The cost: at least $2,000, according to a bid from
the list of city-approved installers. The city estimates that up to 150 San Diego multifamily
buildings may get the same letter over the next six months. It's the tail end of a Water Department
effort that dates to a 1996 state order. The state told the city it wasn't doing
enough to safeguard the drinking-water supply and gave it until June 2007 to
address the problem. Backflow prevention assemblies are supposed to
prevent dirty water at industrial, commercial and big residential buildings from
seeping backward into the city's clean-water lines. The size of larger buildings sometimes creates back
pressure, which can cause used water to reverse into the drinking-water system,
department spokesman Kurt Kidman said. ... Jackson and his neighbors said it was a big
outlay of cash on little notice for the four-family homeowners association. It
just paid $7,000 to have the 17-year-old building painted. (The Water Department's letter) just came
out of the blue, is what it is, Jackson said. It seemed like a lot of
money. He also questioned
whether the backflow plumbing device was really needed for safety. It seems
very strange to us that we've never heard of any case where water backflow from
a condo has jeopardized the health of San Diego water. The city's answer: There have been no cases
of ill health, but this process puts more safeguards on the city's water supply.
Graham Roberts, another condo owner, said: I certainly don't
think we ought to shoulder the necessity of having to retrofit a property like
this one. One would have thought it was grandfathered in. The
homeowners also are disgruntled about being asked to pay a fee to the approved
installers just to get a bid. It's a license for
the plumbing community to print money, Roberts said.
The Water Department says this process has been going on for years. San Diego
was ordered to examine 57,000 water meters around the city to determine how many
need backflow devices. About 5,000 are still left to be
surveyed, and most of those are small multifamily buildings, such as duplexes
and triplexes. ...Kidman said
those who get letters should call his department, and that it's possible to
avoid the need for the device. We'll try to help you come up with
remedies, he said. You might be able to meet the state law by doing some sort
of other modification. If property owners don't meet the deadline mentioned in the
letters, the Water Department will be lenient. We're not going to
shut off people's water, Kidman said. We're not going to fine them.
Still, the
Pacific Beach condo owners don't feel cheery. It's a lovely Christmas present from the water authority,
Roberts said." Signonsandiego.com, Dec. 24,
2006
Big fine proposed for sewer company "The cross-connection of pipes that wound up
patching a human waste line to a subdivision's drinking water supply has
resulted in a proposed $100,000 fine against Foley-based Baldwin County Sewer
Service LLC. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management made the action
public Wednesday, along with a 14-page consent order. The order details a host
of errors in the heavily reported incident that for more than two months created
the possibility of serious illness for residents of Dogwood Dells, a subdivision
near Fish River. ...Earlier this year, residents of the Dogwood Dells
subdivision sued the company and the city of Fairhope in Baldwin County Circuit
Court. The lawsuit, which remains active, claims that as a result of the sewer
line mix-up, the plaintiffs "cooked with raw sewage, drank raw sewage, bathed in
raw sewage, brushed their teeth with raw sewage, cleaned their homes and
personal property with raw sewage and served raw sewage to their families and
friends over a period of several months." The state's environmental regulatory
agency did not find that anyone became ill as a result of the cross-connection
but concluded that the error created "the potential for exposure to pathogens,
which could possibly cause serious illness." According to a narrative of events
in the ADEM order, the first error was made by city of Fairhope crew. Henry
"Rusty" Coker, who owns a lot in the subdivision, had requested sewer service
for a travel trailer he used on the weekends and occasionally during the week.
Before this could be done, Fairhope had to locate its water lines on the
property by marking them for the sewer crew to see. The city crew, however, made
a marking across the street from its water line. The sewer company crew -- "in
reliance upon Fairhope's indication of the water line" -- then excavated an area
where they expected to find one of their sewer lines, but where there actually
was a water line. The company's sewer pipes are blue, and the city's water lines
are white. The line dug up by the company workers was white, which according to
ADEM, should have alerted them that they'd dug up a water line. The company said
its workers said the line "emitted a foul odor," so they assumed it was the
sewer line. They then "inadvertently connected the sewer" line from the Coker
lot to the Fairhope water line that fed the subdivision, according to the order.
On Sept. 19, 2005, the company installed a pump to begin service, thus
"creating, for the first time, the deposition of human waste from the Coker
travel trailer into Fairhope's drinking water supply whenever the travel trailer
was occupied," the order states. ...Fairhope officials told the paper
they ...found problems, traced the water line and found the connection to
Baldwin County Sewer Service's line. The company was alerted and offered
temporary alternative housing to residents, which ADEM cited as a mitigating
factor in the company's favor. Despite finding that the two lines had been
cross-connected, the agency concluded that it was "difficult to determine
whether any wastewater was actually introduced into the Fairhope water line."
"However, even if no wastewater was actually transmitted into the Fairhope water
line, an unacceptable risk of contamination was created by the
cross-connection," ADEM concluded." Press-Register, Dec. 22,
2006
Where the Siphon and Siphonage Make Sanitary Plumbing
Fixtures Insanitary & How Cross-Connections Can Be
Avoided "Perhaps
the most difficult task in the matter of cross connections is teaching the
skeptical and indifferent the how and why of siphons and siphonage. The siphon
in its various forms, and siphonage, has more uses and functions in plumbing
practice than any other apparatus. As a force or energy, it is employed in many
types of fixtures, apparatus and construction. In order to study the subject of
plumbing fixtures, acting as cross connections, we must have a clear
understanding on the subject of siphons and siphonage, recognize them where they
are built into a plumbing fixture, or made up in the connection of a plumbing
fixture to a water supply distributing system. The sanitary engineer, architect,
hospital superintendent, plumber and manufacturer of plumbing materials must be
able to recognize a siphon... ...The point where safe water ends and sewage
begins is sometimes very finely drawn. Plumbing fixtures are the terminals of
the water supply distributing system, the source of sewage and the beginning of
the sewerage system. Excrement, urine, body and domestic wastes from plumbing
fixtures is not safe for human consumption. No person would knowingly drink
waste water from a water closet, urinal, bed pan sterilizer, instrument
sterilizer, lavatory or bath tub. There is no question, however, that many of us
have and will continue to do so until this evil has been eliminated."
From the ASSE Archives, a 1930 Annual Meeting Presentation, reprinted
in Plumbing Standards, April-June 2001
How Potable Water Rises to the Top of
Skyscrapers "High-rise buildings decorate the landscape of
our major cities across our great
nation. Not only are they a challenge to
build architecturally, but there are also many other challenging factors that go into each ones design, such as
pumping water. Few people ever think
about how the water gets to the top
floors of these buildings for everyday living purposes such as drinking, bathing and mechanical uses such as cooling towers and supplying HVAC
equipment. As you read, you will
understand that each high-rise buildings plumbing design is just as important as any other aspect of
construction. No matter how big and
beautiful the building, it is not
habitable without water." ASSE Plumbing Standards, Oct.-Dec.,
2005
City to conduct water protection surveys "Do you have a backflow prevention device? How
about an irrigation system or, for businesses, a soda fountain? Do you know what
this device is for? It is logical to assume that because water is always under
pressure, it can only flow in one direction. However, it's possible for the flow
to be reversed. Water will always flow to the lowest point. If a main water line
in the system should break, or if a fire occurred and the fire department opened
several hydrants, the pressure in the water mains could drop dramatically,
causing a reversal of flow. The potential for this reversal of flow is why the
city is concerned about the possibility of contaminants back flowing into our
water system. Backflow prevention devices prevent the water from flowing back
into the water system and polluting the drinking water. The Colony's drinking
water is among the safest in the world. Federal and State regulations require
water suppliers (such as the City of The Colony) to protect their water systems
from contamination or pollution. To do this The Colony building inspections
department will conduct surveys throughout the city. Through these surveys, the
city's water protection specialist will determine the extent of backflow
protection that is required. In January 2007, the City of the Colony will have a
water protection specialist perform annual testing on all residential and
commercial backflow devices throughout the city. The cost of testing each device
will be added to your monthly water bill for residential, $3.33/month and for
commercial $7.08/month. For example, if residential property has an irrigation
system, the backflow assembly will be tested once a year by the city and you
will be charged $3.33 per month on your water bill." Star Community Newspapers,
Dec. 13, 2006
Next life, one should be a plumber "Regarding the news brief Wednesday
titled "State rule means inspection, water fee": I felt at first that this fee
was sort of like double dipping, but then, the term "double ripping" (as in
rip-off) hit me as a better description. The item states that "many" Sarasota
County water-utility customers will start seeing a $2, "or so," surcharge on
their water bills to cover the cost of annual inspections of their backflow
preventers. Just Saturday I received a letter from Sarasota County from an
individual with the impressive title of "Cross-Connection Control Coordinator,"
telling me that residential customers must comply with the county ordinance by
having annual testing and certification of backflow-prevention assemblies. Such
inspections must be done by a licensed plumbing contractor or fire-protection
systems contractor. There is no doubt in my mind, based upon the content of the
letter, that customers would, somehow, pay for such an inspection. ...The county
has not been enforcing the ruling and, according to the coordinator, the state
is after Sarasota to do so. He said a ballpark figure for the inspection is $35
to $65. As for a deadline, he said the county isn't pushing too hard because it
wants to give homeowners associations time to make arrangements with plumbing
contractors for reduced rates. The county is also looking at negotiating fees
and coordinating inspections if households pay the two bucks "or so" a month, as
your newspaper said. I told the Cross-Connection Control Coordinator that, in my
afterlife, I wanted to return as a plumber in Sarasota County, as I could be
assured of never being out of work." Herald Tribune, Dec. 14, 2006
Thieves posing as Tempe employees (scroll down page for story) "Police are warning residents and
businesses to beware of city "water department" impostors. People are reportedly
impersonating city employees and shutting off the water at businesses during the
day and then stealing backflow preventers that contain copper, which the thieves
sell for a high price, police said. The impostors usually wear orange vests and
drive small white trucks, similar to the city trucks, but without a city logo,
police said. Employees of Tempe Water Services do not enter residences or
businesses to turn off water, check pipes or water pressure or perform other
tests without informing the owner first, police said. Police say to ask for a
city identification card with a photo and if unsure, call the City of Tempe
Water Department..." The Arizona Republic, Dec. 12, 2006
Dennett officials say water safe for children "Problems with the Dennett Elementary well
water system may result in fines by the state. But when parents recently learned
that the water system failed to meet state requirements, they were more worried
about the health of their children. ...Theresa Barao , a spokeswoman for the
Department of Environmental Protection, says the system will remain in violation
until administrators provide proof that all safeguards required for a public
drinking water supply are in place. According to letters from the state, lack of
back-up documentation called into question whether backflow prevention valves,
used to avoid pollution, had been installed in the school addition when it was
built in 2001. While the devices were included in the construction plans, no one
checked once the school was built to make sure the valves were in place. ...The
lack of required documentation was discovered last May during a routine survey.
...Schools Superintendent Dana Parker said the delay in addressing DEP's list of
shortcomings was the result of a misunderstanding. "We expected the water
operator to do it, and he expected us to do it," Parker said." The Boston Globe,
Dec. 10, 2006
Recognizing Waterborne Disease and The Health Effects of
Water Pollution "Contamination
of water reserves by either chemical agents or infectious pathogens may affect
the health of millions of residents in the United States. Water consumers are
frequently unaware of the potential health risks associated with exposure to
waterborne contaminants and often consult practicing physicians who are
unfamiliar with water pollution issues and their subsequent impact on human
health. Misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of waterborne disease by the medical
community may result in significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in
vulnerable populations at increased risk of disease as a result of exposure to
waterborne pathogens and chemical contaminants. In addition, the events of
September 11th emphasize the need for practicing healthcare providers to
recognize unusual disease trends and early warning signs that may result from
potential biological or chemical terrorism. Although the risk is extremely low,
these covert attacks may include an assault on water safety. Primary care
practitioners throughout the United States must be especially vigilant in light
of the fact that they are likely to be the first to observe unusual illness
patterns and must therefore understand their critical role in protecting water
resources and their community's health. ... Any future strategic plan to
maintain and protect water quality and safety in the United States must include
physicians as stakeholders and active participants in this ongoing public health
challenge. Unfortunately, the majority of practicing physicians in the United
States have received no formalized training in the recognition and evaluation of
waterborne disease..." www.waterhealthconnection.org, 2006
Does water STILL flow on Mars? "Dramatic new photographs of Mars have revealed the possible
existence of water on its surface. The images - released for the first time on
Wednesday by the US space agency NASA - were taken earlier this year in an
attempt to unlock the secrets of the Red Planet. Experts have long believed
water was to be found on Mars, which is subject to extreme weather conditions.
This latest discovery may provide vital proof there was life on Mars and that it
is possible for man to land on its arid and rocky surface. NASA researchers have
documented the formation of new craters on the plant's surface and found bright,
light-coloured deposits in gullies that were not present in previous photos.
They concluded the deposits - possibly mud, salt or frost - were left there when
water recently cascaded through the channels. ...Only last month British
cosmologist Professor Stephen Hawking advocated missions to other planets."
Daily Mail, Dec. 6, 2006
E.coli Scare Forces L.I. Taco Bells To Close "Number Of Confirmed Cases In N.Y., N.J. Reach
39... Source Of Bacteria Undetermined, Food Sent To Labs... An outbreak of
E-coli bacteria has sickened more than a dozen people on Long Island, including
several who ate at Taco Bell. Officials have asked eight Taco Bell restaurants
be closed. It's not immediately clear if the Long Island E-coli is related to an
outbreak in New Jersey, where several people got sick after eating at Taco Bell.
At least 15 people became ill in New Jersey, two seriously. Four of the
restaurants were closed in Suffolk County. Nassau County officials say Taco Bell
agreed to close and decontaminate four there. ...Taco Bell's president, Greg
Creed, says the is working with health officials to find the cause. (hmmm, see the following story, could it be
the beef?) He says they closed the restaurants on Long Island and in New
Jersey as a precaution. He says the company is sanitizing the restaurants and
replacing all the food and ingredients before reopening." WCBS-TV New York, Dec.
5, 2006
US Group Angered Over Contaminated-Beef
Treatment "When workers at a
Nebraska beef packing plant inadvertantly sprayed waste water on 493 carcasses,
the company should not have been allowed to clean and treat the meat and allow
it to enter the food supply, a non-profit consumer group said
Thursday. U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesman Steven Cohen said that
the meat would normally be deemed "contaminated," but in this situation company
officials at Swift & Company convinced government inspectors they could make
the beef "safe and wholesome again" through "approved treatment and
microbiological testing." Swift officials were not available for immediate
comment. Cohen said the company cut off the external surfaces of the
carcasses that came into contact with the waste water and treated the remaining
beef before testing it for E. coli, salmonella and other bacterias. ...That, the
group said, is because the waste water
sprayed on the carcasses contained "filth previously collected in the drains on
its kill floor" which likely contained "fecal material." USDA's
Cohen said it was indeed waste water sprayed on the carcasses - as a result of a defective "backflow
mechanism" - but USDA inspectors oversaw the treatment of meat and the
sample testing and were convinced it was safe for people to eat. "We had
control from the beginning to the end," Cohen said. But Felicia Nestor, a
spokeswoman for Food & Water Watch, said the group was not
satisfied. "Even if there were absolute certainty that this product was
safe," the group said in the letter dated Nov. 30, "this is a circumstance in
which product adulteration is so extensive and offensive that allowing companies
to salvage and sell it to unsuspecting consumers is unreasonable."" Cattle
Network, Nov. 30, 2006
Waynesboro mulls problems
with water "One homeowner purchased a pump to boost water pressure in
the house. Another homeowner
(then) finds only a trickle when
she turns on the tap. And another homeowner on Cherry Avenue stands in
the shower without water when someone downstairs flushes. ...For three years,
Nancy and LeRoy Wells saw their water go from a gentle stream to, at times, just
a trickle. "It's very frustrating," Nancy Wells said. "You go to the kitchen,
and it's trickle, trickle, trickle." ..."When you took a shower upstairs and
someone flushed downstairs the shower stopped," Bennett said. ...The problem is
that the three homes are hooked onto a 1-inch water line in their back alley.
Bnnett and Wells complained to the city when they both moved in. Both Craig
Bennett and LeRoy Wells stated that the city did not provide a satisfactory
response to their problem. Bennett obtained a permit and placed an air pressure
tank in his home. "It's better," he said. "But it's still not what I was used
to." Once the pump was installed, the
water supply at the Wells' house on the street decreased further, dependent on
the time of day, to an almost non-existent flow. Sometimes the couple gets backflow. "We have
nothing against the neighbors," LeRoy Wells said. "We understand why they did
what they did. But the pump exacerbated the low-pressure problem and made us
bring it to the city." All three neighbors are frustrated. ..."This is a
multifaceted problem," Smith said. "I want to make sure that we are treating our
residents equitably. Cherry Avenue is not the only location where this is
occurring. This needs to be addressed."" The News Leader, Dec. 2,
2006
Test Kit Valves "When
most people think of backflow test kits they think of differential pressure gauges.
Is it analog (dial type) or digital? What is the accuracy? Backflow test kits, however, are
assemblies. One of he
main components of those assemblies are valves. This article only describes in general the
valves used on backflow test kits. Backflow test kits come in two-valve, three-valve and
fivevalve varieties. Some of these test kits have valves plumbed in
clear view; some have valves hidden
by brackets, while others use manifolds. Test kit valves have two jobs; one, is to bleed
air from the test kit; two, is to control the flow of water pressure to allow
the testing of backflow
preventers. The valve type has dramatic effects on how easy it is to perform these
tests. ...What
is the bottom line? Know the differences in the valve types and select the test kit or
valves that will best suit your needs." asse-plumbing.org, Jan.-March, 2006 Plumbing
Standards
Magazine
Bainbridge Island Water System Tests Clean (subscription [free] may be needed) "A boil-water
advisory has been lifted for the 1,200 customers of Island Utility Water System,
according to Denise Lahmann of the Washington State Department of Health. ...The
boil-water advisory was issued Sunday after routine tests found evidence of
contamination in a water line serving Port Blakely Elementary School and
Islandwood environmental learning center. ...Jerry Deeter of Kitsap County
Health District said health inspectors suspect that the contamination was
introduced into an air-pressure-relief valve in an underground vault. It
appeared that muddy water got into the vault and could have covered the valve
during recent heavy rains. The water system operator intends to improve drainage
in and around the vault to prevent a recurrence, Deeter said. A couple of other
concerns were found at Port Blakely Elementary School, although there no
evidence of contamination was uncovered, Deeter said. For example, a hose was
attached to a faucet and directed into an empty bucket. If there were water in
the bucket, it would be a classic "cross-connection" with the potential for
dirty water to flow back into the water line under particular conditions, he
said. The operator will work with school officials to eliminate such potential,
he added." kitsapsun.com, Nov. 22, 206
Design of plumbing systems
for industrial and temporary applications "Backflow
prevention in industrial, commercial and institutional water systems --- Any
water piping installation where there is a possibility that a harmful substance
may gain access to a drinking-water supply must have a backflow protection
device installed. Various types of backflow protection are described in this
chapter. This topic is addressed in considerable detail in the Crossconnection control manual (EPA 2003). ...A
plumbing hazard that is particularly difficult to control is a temporary
installation for a particular purpose. Backflow and backsiphonage devices should
be installed as described in sections 14.5 and 15.3. Because these temporary
installations are not part of a plumbing system or connected to conventional
fixtures, they are not subject to the requirement of plans submission, but they
should be subject to other controls. Such temporary installations can be more
dangerous than permanent systems, especially when they are not subject to the
plumbing code of practice construction and use requirements." WHO, Health Asspects of Plumbing,
2006
Cross-Connections Can Create Health Hazards (Another very nice up-to-date example of a customer
education brochure) "Every water system has cross connections.
Plumbing codes and State drinking water regulations require cross connections to
be controlled by approved methods (physical air gap) or approved mechanical
backflow prevention devices or assemblies. The various types of mechanical
backflow preventers include: reduced pressure backflow assembly (RPBA), reduced
pressure detector assembly (RPDA), double check valve assembly (DCDA), double
check detector check valve assembly (DCDA), double check detector (PVBA), spill
resistant vacuum breaker assembly (SVBA) and atmospheric vacuum breaker (AVB).
For a backflow preventer to provide proper protection, it must be approved for
backflow protection, designed for the degree of hazard and backflow it is
controlling, installed correctly, tested annually by a State certified tester,
and repaired as necessary." PNWS-AWWA
CBPA Photo Gallery "Here is the new Photo gallery, as requested by members in
the CBPA. The biggest need perceived was to show good and bad backflow
prevention installations. Many of our water purveyor members get asked
frequently as to what constitutes a good or bad installation, and hopefully
these pictures demonstrate both types. ...Most of the images shown here were
submitted to the CBPA for photo contests and are excellent examples of both good
and bad backflow prevention installations." Colorado Backflow Prevention
Association, 2006
Routine Sanitary Surveys (1.5mb pdf doc) "Mission... To protect the health of the
people of Washington State by assuring safe and reliable drinking water.
...Importance of Sanitary Surveys... Identify areas that are currently, or may
in the future, prevent the water system's capacity to provide safe drinking
water. ...Common Problems Found ...Old piping and tanks not eliminated (not just
valved off). ...Potential high health cross-connection hazards." (includes pictures) Washington State Department of Health, Nov.
19, 2006
THREE ST. LOUIS STREET
INSPECTORS & ONE PLUMBING INSPECTOR INDICTED ON MAIL FRAUD AND BRIBERY
CHARGES "Three St. Louis street inspectors and one plumbing
inspector have been indicted on charges involving accepting bribes... ...Plumbing inspector AUGUST "BILL" BECKEMEYER,
33, of St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury for bribery involving
federal programs. St. Louis City property owners pay extra taxes for the
sole purpose of funding repairs to sewer lines. The inspectors are supposed to
make sure the money is well spent, not line their own pockets, said Hanaway.
Mayor Slay stated: "This sends a clear message that corruption in Government
will not be tolerated in the City of St. Louis." ...As to plumbing inspector Beckemeyer, the indictment alleges
that between March 2004 and June 2005, Beckemeyer took in excess of $5,000 from
plumbing contractors and drain layers in exchange for favorable approval of
plumbing and drain laying projects. If convicted, the mail fraud charges
each carry a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and/or fines up to
$250,000; the bribery charges carries a maximum penalty of ten years and/or
$250,000. Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General and Executive
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Jensen, who is handling the case for
the U.S. Attorneys Office. The charges set forth in an indictment are merely
accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven
guilty." FBI & Department of Justice, Aug. 3,
2006
Plumbing equipment taken: (scroll down page to Plantation) "Someone stole four backflow assemblies from a grassy area
in the 4600 block of Northwest Ninth Court between 11 p.m. Nov. 1 and 10 a.m.
Nov. 2. The units prevented unwanted water from flowing back into the plumbing
of five homes. The loss was estimated at $1,650."
One-Third of World: Bad Toilets "The humble flush toilet, taken for granted
in most rich countries, could be a cheap but powerful tool to slash childhood
deaths and boost global development, a U.N. report said Thursday. The annual
report of the U.N. Development Program said that lack of access to clean water
and basic sanitation in a third of the world killed nearly 2 million children
each year. This amounted to nearly 5,000 deaths per day, most of them
preventable, and made diarrhea the second biggest childhood killer. "No access
to sanitation is a polite way of saying that people draw water for drinking,
cooking and washing from rivers, lakes, ditches and drains fouled with human and
animal excrement," said Kevin Watkins, the main author. "The toilet may seem an
unlikely catalyst for human development, but the report provides abundant and
powerful evidence to show how it benefits people's well being," he said.
..."Dripping taps in rich countries lose more water than is available each day
to more than 1 billion people," it said. It said that 2.4 billion people have no
access to sanitation and 1 billion people have no access to clean water. Many of
those without adequate water used about a gallon per day, compared to about 50
gallons in Europe and about 100 gallons in the United States. ...The report
called for a global campaign -- similar to the Global Fund against AIDS, TB and
malaria to try to coordinate all the fragmented efforts of different agencies
working with water. ...But the report also criticized developing countries for
spending too little on water and sanitation." NewsMax.com, Nov. 9,
2006
Waterloo takes big step to protect water from backflow
contamination "Waterloo city council has endorsed a plan to protect the
municipal water supply from contaminated backflow out of industrial,
commercial, institutional and multi-residential
buildings. The backflow prevention
program was approved in-principle by council at Monday night's
meeting. It will target a variety
of companies and institutions, ranging from car washes
to hospitals. "Often they
will have systems that are semi-connected to their internal water system
in order to treat their water. We don't want whatever they've done to
their water to come back into our system," said Bill Garibaldi, the city's
director of utilities, in an interview. ...Backflow prevention has always
been an issue with municipalities, Garibaldi said, adding it is generally
highlighted after a backflow incident takes place. The report cited the backflow incident in Guelph in 1997,
when chemicals from a petroleum plant entered the city's water
supply. In that case, the backflow
prevention device installed on the system had failed. This incident led many municipalities to establish a
backflow prevention program and create a backflow prevention officer
position. "You will often see
people become more proactive once an incident occurs that really shows the
vulnerability of their system." The Ministry of the Environment is pushing municipalities
to be more than just reactive though. ...Although the program has been
approved in-principle, "nothing is set in stone,"Garibaldi said. ...The program
is expected to cost $160,000 per year, the report said." Waterloo Chronicle,
Nov. 8, 2006
National Cost Estimate for Cross Connection Control in
Small Water Systems "Cross
connection control and backflow prevention are not a new concern. All states
have some type of law or regulation for the control of cross connections and/or
backflow prevention. ...The purpose of this study is to develop a national cost
estimate for the implementation of a cross connection control program for small
water systems and small communities. This study is sponsored by the National
Rural Water Association (NRWA), its state affiliates, and the more than 23,000
small water systems it represents across the United States. The cost of cross
connection control programs for small systems and small communities is
especially important because the US Environmental Protection Agencys (USEPAs)
has a current interest in the regulation of drinking water distribution systems.
...Cross contamination from private plumbing systems can contain biological
hazards (such as bacteria or viruses) or toxic substances that can contaminate
and sicken an entire population in the event of backflow. The majority of
historical incidences of backflow have been accidental, but growing concern that
contaminants could be intentionally backfed into a system is prompting increased
awareness for private homes, businesses, industries, and areas most vulnerable
security-related risks." NRWA White Paper, Aug. 28, 2004
Is It Time for a Single National Standard on a Backflow
Prevention Device? "End users
of backflow devices demand products which exhibit superior flow characteristics,
are easy to install and maintain and are as small and lightweight as possible.
For backflow prevention device manufacturers to stay competitive, new and
innovative designs must be continually brought into the market. The key points
of design that drive the industry are well known. New high tech materials and
manufacturing methods are sought to allow the highest quality products to be
offered at the most competitive prices. Unceasingly improving current product
offerings while introducing new ones is certainly challenging on its own, but
todays backflow manufacturers face another obstacle- an overbearing approval
and certification process. ...From the beginning, those in the backflow industry
have recognized the importance of maintaining the quality of the devices they
manufacture. The public health is safeguarded by a cross connection control
program that is only as safe and reliable as the devices used." Plumbing
Standards, Summer 2006
Online Backflow Instructor's Guide "This Instructor's Guide has been compiled to
aid ASSE approved instructors in conducting Tester Certification and
Recertification classes in accordance with the ASSE Series 5000 Professional
Qualifications Standard. Because of the ever changing nature of the building and
construction industry, together with the continuing development of new
technology and equipment in the backflow prevention industry, the need to
continually update and improve our certification program is clear. The objective
of this guide is to provide instructors with the resources that along with both
the ASSE/ANSI 5000 standard and the ASSE Guide to Cross Connection Protection Devices and Assemblies
- Application and Selection Book, will enable them to provide a quality
educational experience for their students. ...During its April 1987 meeting, the
ASSE Board of Directors recognized a plumbing industry need and voted to develop
professional qualification standards for individuals involved with backflow
prevention. Like the ASSE product standards, these professional qualifications
standards established minimum industry requirements for backflow prevention
assembly testers, backflow prevention assembly repairers and cross connection
control surveyors. This voluntary consensus series of standards was the first in
the plumbing and water supply fields to set minimum requirements for a qualified
professional. Backflow prevention assemblies and devices, along with their
proper installation, testing and repairing, have been an important part of
protecting public health since the 1890's. During the past one hundred years,
the industry grew in many directions and philosophies. To prepare this standard,
representatives from different regions and industry segments dedicated
themselves to achieve a true consensus and thereby advancing the backflow
prevention community." www.asse-plumbing.org, Oct.24,
2006
Winterizing Your Home "It seems the below-freezing temperatures overnight,
caught some homeowners in the valley by surprise. They woke up to their backflow
valves leaking, some even gushing gallons of water. Experts say if you
haven't taken steps to winterize your home yet, it's not too late. "I've
never had this happen before," said Garden City homeowner, Nadine Miller. The
water cascading out of the backflow valve in Miller's front lawn is nothing
compared to what it looked like Wednesday morning. "We saw a geyser up here
four to five feet in the air," she said. Miller planned on having her sprinklers
blown out Thursday, an appointment she made a month ago. But with temperatures
dipping down into the low 20's and teens in some valley areas Tuesday
night, the water inside those pipes froze and when it returned back to the
liquid state, it blew the top right off the exposed backflow prevention
device. ...To prevent that from happening to you, Palmer
recommends covering the backflow valve with a blanket to keep it warm, until a
lawn care company can winterize your sprinkler system. Once you have your
sprinklers blown out, and the water that leads to the sprinkler system turned
off, you should turn the handles on the valve and screws on the side of the test
ports into a half open, half close position, so you can drain out the excess
water. If you don't, water could get trapped inside the valve, when it freezes,
it expands and could cause a crack in the valve. By taking these preventative
measures now, you should hopefully avoid paying for some costly repairs.
Miller says she's learned her lesson, and plans on winterizing her home, a
little bit earlier next year." Fox 12
News, Nov. 1, 2006
ORANGE COUNTY UTILITIES CROSS CONNECTION CONTROL MANUAL
REVISION 1 (106 page pdf
document) "This Manual is
published to provide our customers and contractors with an understanding of
cross connections, backflow prevention assemblies, and the reasons for
installing them. It also serves as a standard policy and a coordinated effort
with local plumbing codes to ensure that our drinking water is protected from
actual and potential contamination hazards. Orange County Utilities is
protecting public health through the enforcement of requirements and standards
for design, construction, operation and maintenance of public potable water
supply systems and reclaimed water systems." Orange County Utilities Water
Division and Orange County Building Division, Sept. 2002
CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL AT ARMY
INSTALLATIONS (
see
page 31) "The purpose of this Public Works Technical Bulletin (PWTB) is
to provide an overview of cross-connection control and backflow prevention at
Army installations with particular emphasis on regulatory aspects, technical
guidelines and major elements of (a) cross connection control program. ...This PWTB applies to all U.S. Army
Directorate Public Works activities responsible for providing drinking water to
consumers in accordance with requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
and its amendments, and applicable state and local regulations. ...Under the Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA), a water supplier is responsible for preventing polluted or contaminated
water, gas, or other substances from entering a public drinking water system. US
Army regulations mandate that potable water at all Army installations meets the
SDWA and State and local regulations. In addition, Army regulations require
particular methods and procedures be followed in the design, operation, and
maintenance of potable water systems, and mandate compliance with specific
technical guidelines. The development of an organized program that identifies,
controls, and/or eliminates the interconnections (cross-connections) between
drinking water systems (potable) and other water systems of questionable quality
(nonpotable) is also required. To comply with these requirements, a
Cross-Connection Control Program must be developed, implemented, and
maintained." U.S Army Corps of Engineers, PUBLIC WORKS TECHNICAL BULLETIN
420-49-16
Kettering Tower fire puts plans on
hold "Fire investigators are
continuing to hunt for the cause of Thursday's electrical fire at the Kettering
Tower, the city's tallest building at 30 stories. The fire at the building, 40
N. Main St., caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in soot and water damage.
Dayton Fire Marshal Sean Englert said the fire may have started from flooding
from the 30th floor, caused by a leak in a backflow prevention system that
leaked to the vault room on the 23rd floor. The alarm came in at 1:28 a.m., he
said. ...The glow of emergency lights, the smell of burnt wiring and water
puddles from the sprinkler system were "a little eerie," said Lacie Sims, member
relations director for the Racquet Club on the 29th floor. ...Trucks from
Korrect Plumbing and Apex Restoration arrived shortly before noon with
repair/restoration crews. Daniel McNeil, president of Apex Restoration, said
about seven floors were heavily damaged with water or soot. "We plan to clean
and restore the whole building," McNeil said. He estimated the cost, covered by
insurance, "somewhere in the $300,000 to $500,000 range." ...only 25 percent of
the building has sprinklers, though work to retrofit the rest has been ongoing."
Dayton Daily News, Oct. 27, 2006
Students, faculty show interest in possible water
contamination story "The
Student Environmental Health Association, Student Society of Professional
Journalists and the Student American Industrial Hygiene Association brought Matt
Hanley, a reporter with the Aurora Beacon News, to campus last night to discuss
his investigation on illnesses which occurred at the Nicor gas company. "This is
something that deals with toxicology and how it affects everyday people. This is
something that hit more to home I think because some people are from Aurora and
we got the reporter to come in," Elayne Storc, a senior environmental health
major and president of the Student Environmental Health Association, said.
...Nicor is being accused of having contaminated a water supply in which over 20
workers have come forward saying they suffered illnesses. "A number of Nicor
workers got really sick and it has been speculated that the drinking water has
been contaminated with some boiler feed chemicals," Jin said. There have been no
charges for the company yet and evidence is still being collected to determine
if Nicor knew about the contamination or if a Nicor pipe contaminated the water.
"In this case, they are talking about potential backflow contamination, so at
the point of service from the public water supply the contaminate may backflow
into the distribution system and cause contamination of the drinking water
supply," Jin said. ..."They think one of the methylene chloride pipes crossed
with their drinking water so they have been exposed to this for years," Storc
said." Daily Vidette Online, Oct. 26, 2006
(The Safe Drinking Water
Trust) "Just For Fun... Here
are some interesting and fun water towers from around the country. To view the
towers, select the tower from the dropdown below. If you have a photo of
an interesting or fun water tower, please send us a photo via email with details on the city and
state where its located."
CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL MANUAL (Florida Rural Water Association) "...Backflow protection assemblies are
installed on the basis of an existing or a potential introduction of
contaminants or pollutants into the water supply system. The specific
requirement for a backflow assembly is made on the basis of the existing or
potential health hazard. The best means of preventing backflow is an air gap,
which either eliminates a crossconnection or provides a barrier to backflow.
However, air gaps are many time not feasible and mechanical backflow prevention
assemblies are used. The basic mechanism for preventing backflow and
backsiponage is the reduced-pressure principle assembly. Other assemblies and
devices such as a pressure vacuum breaker or an atmospheric breaker may be
appropriate when no backpressure condition exists and only backsiphonage is a
concern. Where only backpressure and low hazard is a concern a double check
valve assembly is appropriate. A secondary type of mechanical backflow preventer
is the residential dual check valve that is approved for very limited
applications..." FRWA, June 26, 2006
CROSS-CONNECTIONS AND BACKFLOW PREVENTION
MANUAL (West Virginia)
"The goal of a good public water
supply system is to provide clean and safe drinking water to its customers.
However, it is not enough to merely treat the water and meet regulatory
standards. The water must also be protected in the distribution system so that
it remains free of contamination. Cross-connections and backflow pose dangers to
drinking water and public health once the water enters the distribution system.
In order to address this problem, West Virginias Cross-Connections and Backflow
Prevention Regulations were adopted in April 1976. The Regulations require each
public water supplier to develop and maintain a cross-connection control program
in order to provide some control over water in the distribution system. This
manual is provided by the Bureau for Public Health to be used as a reference
document and training manual for public water supply personnel, health
officials, plumbers and others involved in water supply distribution systems. As
a supplement to the Regulations, this manual presents the basics of backflow
theory, as well as, practical applications for cross-connection control." West Virginia Bureau for Public
Health Office of Environmental Health Services Environmental
Engineering Division, March 2002
Firm hoping sewage mix dilutes radioactive
water "A company in Eastern
Ontario is hoping to find that the solution to pollution is dilution. The
company, SRB Technologies Canada Inc. of Pembroke, Ont., has contaminated the
groundwater around its factory with radioactive tritium, raising the ire of
nuclear regulators. So it is proposing to clean up the problem by dumping some
of the pollutant into the city's sewers. From there, the radioactivity would be
mixed with sewage flushed by the city's 13,000 residents and ultimately poured
into the nearby Ottawa River. In the plan, filed with regulators at the Canadian
Nuclear Safety Commission, the company says its proposal is safe for people and
the environment because the radioactivity would be diluted with all the city's
sewage and then have a further "immediate and substantial dilution upon
discharge to the environment [the Ottawa River]." ...Some residents object to
the proposal, saying it doesn't make sense to take contaminants from the factory
site and place them in the river, which is a drinking water source for
downstream communities, including Ottawa." globeandmail.com, Oct. 20,
2006
Backflow Prevention &
Cross-Connection Control Manual For the Education of Backflow
Prevention Certified Testers (101 page MS .doc file)"This backflow prevention course is intended to prepare you
to test the various backflow prevention devices that are used to protect the
public water supply. ...This manual will
be used as an instructional aid for the classroom portion of the
course. ...Backflow can be defined as the
unintentional reversal of the normal direction of flow within a piping system.
When there are cross-connections in the consumers water distribution system,
either actual or potential cross-connections, a substance can be introduced into
the piping. Substances that may backflow into a potable water distribution
system can be prevented from entering the system through the proper application
of an approved air-gap separation or any number of other approved backflow
prevention devices that are commercially available. This manual is intended to
make you aware of the hazard associated with a backflow condition and the
available methods and/or devices that may be used to properly protect the water
distribution system." The
Ohio Department of Commerce, Construction Compliance,
2001
Tips For Winterizing Your Sprinkler System "The grass is always greener when it gets plenty of water.
And to make sure your lawn is ready to go-and grow-in the spring, it's essential
to make sure that your sprinkler system survives the winter. Homeowners may not
realize that in-ground irrigation systems are susceptible to harsh winter
weather. Fortunately, there are just a few simple steps to get your sprinklers
ready to weather Jack Frost's deep freeze. First and foremost, does your
sprinkler system run on an automatic timer? If so, be sure to shut down the
controller before the cold winds blow through. ... Next, shut off the water
supply. And while you're at it, be sure to protect the main shutoff valve by
wrapping it with insulation (foam insulation tape and a plastic bag). ... If the cold weather is on its way, it's
crucial to remove water from the pipes and sprinklers so that the water
doesn't freeze and cause pipes to burst. Manual drain valves, automatic drain
valve and the compressed-air blowout method are the three most common ways to
drain pipes. An irrigation specialist can help you get the job done while
protecting your lawn and your property against the potential hazards. Backflow preventers and valves also need
insulation if they are aboveground. The insulation tape used for the main
shutoff valve can be used on this equipment as well, but be sure not to block
air vents or drain outlets." HealthNewsDigest.com, Oct. 16,
2006
Guidelines for Designing Backflow Prevention Assembly
Installations "The purpose of
these guidelines is to augment and/or clarify those guidelines outlined in the
January 1981 Cross Connection Control manual. These guidelines reflect accepted
design considerations based on experience in implementing cross connection
control programs and policies set forth by the American Water Works Association,
Environmental Protection Agency, USC Foundation for Cross Connection Control and
Hydraulic Research and state and local health departments. Pending revisions to
the manual, these guidelines should clearly outline what an acceptable design
and installation constitutes. They are to be reasonably interpreted and will be
updated as new design solutions and technologies are offered." Also see... New York State Department of Health - Bureau of Public
Water Supply Protection, 2001
IAPMO, PHCC Release Backflow Prevention Reference
Manual "The International Assn. of Plumbing and Mechanical
Officials (IAPMO) released its Backflow Prevention
Reference Manual at last months ISH North America tradeshow in Chicago.
IAPMO, in conjunction with its Drinking Water and Backflow Prevention
(DW&BP) division, developed the publication jointly with the
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors-National Assn. (PHCC). This collaborative
effort resulted in the first-of-its-kind manual for the industry, which contains
concepts and lessons that boast international relevance. The 300-page
publication contains full-color illustrations in real-world field settings and
is said to be a truly comprehensive book on the subject of backflow prevention.
The manual contains sections relating to installation, testing, cross-connection
control, repair and inspections, and can also be used as a textbook for these
areas. Additionally, it can be used by regulatory agencies as a guide to
determine what type of valve can be used in a particular case. With information
on the history of backflow prevention, as well as chapters written from the
regulatory perspective, Backflow Prevention Reference
Manual is a resource for system designers, urban planners and utility
companies--professionals on both sides of the water meter.
Consulting-Specifying Engineer, Oct. 12, 2006
EPA Review
of TCR and Distribution System Issues (MS Power Point
file) "M/DBP FACA Agreement Evaluates Available Data and Research on
Aspects of Distribution Systems that may Create Risks to Public Health Work with
Stakeholders to: Initiate a process for addressing cross connection control and
backflow prevention requirements Consider additional distribution system
requirements related to significant health risks...
Cross Connections Can Lead to Backflow of Chemical or
Microbial Contaminants.... Where Uncorrected, Cross Connections Can Result
in Long-Term Exposures. Estimated 90% of backflow events unreported... 26
Cross connection related outbreaks from 1981-1998 reported to CDC ...EPA Draft
Cross Connection White Paper (October, 1999) 448 Backflow Events 1970-1999 124
Events Reported Illness - Estimated 11,854 Cases and 13 Deaths Common
Contaminants.... Blue/green water - 34 incidents... Ethylene glycol/antifreeze -
18 incidents... Chromium species - 18 incidents... Chlordane - 11incidents... Giardia - 10 incidents" US EPA Office of Ground Water
and Drinking Water, ASDWA Annual Conference, October 25, 2001
Water Supply Distribution Systems: Assessing and Reducing
Risks -- First Report "The
distribution systems of public drinking water supplies include the pipes and
other conveyances that connect treatment plants to consumers taps. They span
almost 1 billion miles in the United States... ...Distribution systems
constitute a significant management challenge from both an operational and
public health standpoint. ...The issues from the nine EPA white
papers have been prioritized using categories of highest, medium, and lower
priority. Also, several significant issues that were overlooked in previous
reports have been identified by the committee and added. The highest priority
issues are those that have a recognized health risk based on clear
epidemiological and surveillance data. Cross connections and backflow. Cross
connections and backflow events are ranked as the highest priority because of
the long history of recognized health risks posed by cross connections, the
clear epidemiological and surveillance data implicating these events with
outbreaks or sporadic cases of waterborne disease, and the availability of
proven technologies to prevent cross connections." The National Academies Press,
2005
A Lawn Care Truck and a Garden Hose (short but timely power point
presentation) "Potentially a bad
combination... All the elements are in place... *No backflow prevention device
on building or on the hose bibb... *At 7:pm Louisville Water Company crew
turns water main off for scheduled maintenance work... *Garden hose is submerged
in the tank on back of the lawn care truck..." www.AWWA.org 2002
Chemical contaminates office complex's water "Office workers at 1110 Montlimar Place, one
of west Mobile's largest office complexes, were warned Thursday not to drink the
water or wash their hands as water officials tried to identify the source of a
pink-colored chemical contaminating the building's water
supply. Malcolm Steeves, executive director of the Mobile Area
Water and Sewer Service, said the problem appears to be restricted to the
plumbing in the 10-story office building, which houses a wide variety of
services, including the federal General Services Administration, Coast Guard
investigative services, the Internal Revenue Service, and several prominent
psychiatric, real estate, banking, insurance, telephone and legal offices. "We
sent a crew over to make sure that no other water system customers were
affected," Steeves said. "As far as we can tell it never got back through the
meter to our system."Steeves said there are indications the contamination was
fluid from the air conditioning cooling system. Jason Scott, who works with the
building's leasing agent, John Toomey and Company Inc., described the problem as
"just a little discoloration in the water" in a brief conversation earlier
Thursday afternoon, and said he didn't think it was worthy of the public's
attention. ...Steeves said his workers told him that the discoloration was
"so pink it was purple." Some
office workers apparently noticed the problem when they turned on the taps
Thursday morning. ...Steeves said it appears that some type of air
conditioning fluid worked its way into the drinking water system. Steeves said
his workers discovered problems with the check valve that prevents the water in
the cooling system from backing up into the drinking water. Steeves said it's
"not unusual" to have backflow problems, "but apparently the degree of this one
was unusual." No one contacted Thursday knew what type of chemicals may have
been used in the cooling system at Montlimar Place, though there's been
increasing attention on the potential pollution and health problems associated
with some anti-corrosion chemicals, such as hexavalent chromium, commonly used
in such systems." Press-Register, Oct. 8, 2006
Backflow Prevention
Process Manual (137 pages, 2.3 mb pdf document) "This Procedural Manual outlines the North
Shore City Councils commitment to the protection of the quality of the potable
water supply through a comprehensive backflow prevention programme. Backflow is
the flow of a liquid or a contaminant back into the potable public water supply.
This can happen either by back-siphonage or back-pressure and applies to both
hot and cold water systems. Backflow prevention devices or registered air gaps
are used to prevent hazardous material from being The enforcement and monitoring
of backflow prevention is an essential activity for North Shore City Council for
ensuring the protection of public health. ...The overall strategy of North Shore
City Council in this Procedural Manual is to: *Identify potential
risks *Ensure potential risks have appropriate backflow protection
*Ensure a register is kept of all backflow prevention devices *Ensure the
devices are tested annually *Educate consumers of the risks associated
with backflow" www.northshorecity.govt.nz Dec.
2005
Program works on indoor plumbing
problem "Most Americans take
flushing toilets and hot showers for granted, but some families in Southside,
including Henry County, live without basic plumbing facilities in their homes,
officials said. Maxine Coleman, assistant program administrator with Southside
Outreach Group in South Boston, is working to change that. Through the Indoor
Plumbing Rehabilitation (IPR) program, Coleman is trying to help eligible
residents of Henry County either install or repair plumbing in their
homes. The IPR program, organized by the state Department of Housing and
Community Development, provides zero-interest, forgivable loans for eligible
homeowners who do not have functioning plumbing, its Web site states. Although
it might be hard to believe, lack of plumbing still is a problem in Virginia...
...To have complete facilities, a home must have hot and cold piped water, a
flush toilet and a bathtub or shower, according to the U.S. Census Web site.
Homes without one or more of those facilities are categorized as homes without
complete plumbing." Martinsville Bulletin, Oct. 5, 2006 Also
see... (Indoor Plumbing Rehabilitation
Program).
Legionella surveillance: political and social
implications--a little knowledge is a dangerous thing "Fear of adverse publicity and litigation are
obstacles to a rational scientific approach to Legionnaires disease prevention.
Surveillance should be complemented by education of the public and lay media.
The public must be informed that Legionella are common colonizers (as are Pseudomonas species) of man-made water distribution
systems that are rarely pathogenic for immunocompetent hosts and that
Legionnaires disease is not a contagious disease. Ignorance leads to panic and
panic leads to irrational actions. We have observed the implementation of
emergency measures that are expensive, logistically tedious, and have little
impact on the risk of acquiring Legionnaires disease. www.legionella.org,
March 30, 2006
Managing the Risk
of Waterborne Pathogens in Building Water Systems (can be viewed through
Internet Explorer only) "Waterborne pathogens are a major source of hospital
infections. ...Potential sources of contamination *Plumbing systems * Specific
outlets * Cooling towers *Humidifiers * Whirlpool spas and batrhs * Decorative
fountains * Misters * Dialysis water * Industrial equipment
...Recommendations * Identify high risk areas * Educate on control, testing... *
Implement preventive measures" American Industrial Hygiene Association, May 23,
2005
Busy Meeting in Rockingham County "...The Rockingham County Board of Supervisor's is
looking at adopting an ordinance requiring you to have a device on your outside
faucets, preventing back flow contamination in the public water supply. County
officials say existing plumbing codes require the devices at new construction
sites, but if the board adopts the ordinance, the county would be able to
inspect homes as well as industrial and commercial sites to make sure the
devices are in place. If you look on your outside spigot, the device is a brass
cylinder that actually says it's a vacuum breaker. "You don't want to remove
those because they are a safety device that's protecting not only the public
water supply, but it's protecting your family as well," says Director or Public
Works Warren Heidt. Heidt says if you use a sprayer on your trees, this device
would prevent insecticides from back flowing into your water supply. The board
will have a public hearing before adopting the ordinance." WHSV-TV/DT, Sept. 28,
2006
When 'mixing it up' is especially dangerous "A recent article published in the monthly
magazine of the American Society of Home Inspectors reminded me of one of the
most important but least understood aspects of a home plumbing system. This is
the issue of cross-connections. What is a cross-connection? Simply stated, a
cross-connection occurs when the water in the drain side of the plumbing system
finds its way into the drinkable (potable) side of the plumbing system. Due to
bacteria or chemicals like paints, pesticides, or antifreeze that may be
found in the drain side of the system, a cross-connection can be a serious
health concern. ...Where can cross-connections occur? In residential plumbing systems there are several areas
where cross-connections are common: 1) Hose faucets or bibs: Perhaps the most obvious and
common causes of a residential cross-connection are hose faucets. If a hose
connected to a faucet is left lying in a mud puddle and a back-pressure event
occurs, the bacteria in the puddle may be drawn into the potable-water
system. 2) Laundry tubs/utility
sinks: The faucets on many laundry tubs are equipped with a threaded end
to allow the attachment of a hose for washing a dog or supplying water to a
washing machine. If these hoses are allowed to lie in the bottom of the sink, a
cross-connection could occur during a back-pressure event. 3) Shower hand sprayers: If a shower hand
sprayer is allowed to lie in the bottom of the shower or bathtub, especially if
the tub is still partially or completely full of water, the potential for a
cross-connection occurs. 4) Faucets below fixture floor rims: In some older tubs
and sinks, the faucet is located below the flood rim of the fixture. When the
fixture is filled, this will allow the water to contact the faucet, creating the
potential for a cross- connection. 5) Sprinkler systems: Professionally installed
sprinkler systems should be protected from cross-connection by a
back-flow-prevention device. However, if the system was installed by a
homeowner, this important detail may have been left out. It is easy to
understand how a back-pressure event could draw bacteria or chemicals into the
potable water system from the soil. 6) Other sources of cross-connection: Some older toilet
flush valves have their cutoff below the water line. Bidets installed without
back-flow preventers can allow cross- connections. Although rare in our region
of the country, cross-connections can occur from hot water or steam heat
boilers." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Aug. 31, 2006
How Much Is an Environmental Permit Worth? "The Missouri Department of Natural Resources
recently set out to determine just exactly how much an environmental permit is
worth. While the agency can't answer that question in dollars and cents, it does
know its permits are a very small cost in comparison to the economic benefit
provided. And, the permits are an
absolute bargain compared with the remedial work and health care that might be
needed without these pollution prevention tools. "Most Missouri residents
have no idea what a permit from the Department of Natural Resources
accomplishes," said Department Director Doyle Childers. "Many people think permits are government busy work,
fundraising for bureaucrats or just plain harassment of communities or
businesses." Actually, permits
are a necessary part of the environmental control business because they help
assure environmental protection and compliance. In Missouri, a permit is
required for most types of activity that can have an impact on the environment
or the health of the state's citizens. These permits help ensure that
environmental standards are met so Missourians can continue to enjoy healthy
air, safe drinking water, clean
streams and usable soil. ...In addition to allowing a company to operate
safely and legally, a permit can protect a facility from being sued if it is
following the conditions in its permit. Each permit issued by the Department of
Natural Resources is a legal document. In applying for and accepting a permit, a
facility agrees to abide by its terms and conditions. State and federal
environmental laws provide severe penalties for violating the requirements of
the law or permit conditions, and for failing to obtain a permit when one is
required. ...The department also oversees a number of licenses, registrations
and certifications, including
...backflow prevention in drinking water." Kansas City infoZine, Sept.
27, 2006
Improvements to water security "A two-year project to improve the security of water supply
to Makaraka and McDonald Road industrial area is also aimed at protecting the
citys water supply from accidental contamination. Some $70,000 is being spent
laying new water pipes at Makaraka at the moment, and early next year another
$800,000 dollars will be spent laying a new water main to the western industrial
area. Water utilities engineer Leighton Evans says while residents and industry
will benefit from having constant pressure all year round, a major benefit will be to prevent backflow contamination
of the city water supply. At the moment Makaraka and the western
industrial area are supplied by low pressure pipes which are provided from
the water supply line upstream of the Makaraka booster pumps. The current
project is replacing the existing pipes with new lines that connect to the main
supply below the booster pumps, so that a constant pressure is maintained
throughout the whole system. This new rider main has a pressure- reducing valve system
which will keep the water flowing in the right direction, despite any variation
in pressure caused by high demand. ...The need to protect the main city
water supply from backflow contamination, and the need to give security to the
western industrial zone was identified some five years ago, but it is only now
that the funding has been made available through the ongoing works programme."
The Gibson Herald, Sept. 26, 2006
Gestapo letters (scroll down page for
this story) "In another item
with no action resulting, council voted
to review the wording of a residential sprinkler ordinance requiring city
residents to have their backflow preventers checked annually. The
devices, when working properly, prevent yard contaminants such as fertilizer
from flowing back into the public water supply. Councilman Bob Pees said the ordinance, which results in Gestapo
letters from the city threatening $1,000 a day fines if not complied with, is a
blanket enforcement of a health regulation designed to target hazardous
yards. In my opinion, were being overly aggressive in our interpretation of
this regulation, Pees said. Inspections can range from $35 to more than $100,
Pees said. City officials proposed wording that would limit backflow checks in
nonhazardous yards, as defined by the regulation, to bi-annual inspections.
Council will consider the revised ordinance at a future meeting. In the
meantime, Mayor Betty Ann Matthies said residents should hold off on
inspections." Gazette-Enterprise, Sept. 20, 2006
Hobart amends water code : Move intended to protect city
water from contamination "Property owners with wells on their property and access to
city water now will have to install backflow prevention devices to ensure the
safety of the municipal water supply. "The possibility of contamination of the
city's water supply is very present," City Engineer Steve Truchan said. The City
Council unanimously approved an amendment to the municipal code Wednesday night
requiring the move. Councilman Tom Ehrhardt, R-1st, made the motion for adoption
of the ordinance by asking the council to suspend the normal rules requiring two
readings of an ordinance before adoption and declaring the situation a state of
emergency. ...Initially, the council considered prohibiting property owners from
having both a well and city water connection. The ordinance approved Wednesday
night allows for both if the property owner acquires a permit and installs a
backflow prevention valve on the connection to the city water line. The device
prevents potentially contaminated water from being sucked into the public water
supply when the water supplier loses pressure. When a water supplier loses water
pressure, a vacuum is created when anyone turns on the water. That vacuum sucks
water from any source it can find, including water pipes, sprinkler systems,
pools, hot tubs and hot water heaters. If the water is less than 140 degrees,
bacteria (i.e.
Legionella) can be drawn into the drinking water supply, causing a
potential public health hazard. Hobart officials know all too well of the fears
and headaches that can be created with a loss of water pressure. In the summer
of 2005, the town's water supplier, Indiana American Water, lost pressure due to
a power failure at its Ogden Dunes plant, causing lengthy boil orders..."
nwitimes.com, Sept. 21, 2006
Valley towns look to root out backflow
problems "For the last decade,
local towns have worked to protect their water supply, but gaps in regulation
and enforcement still leave unprotected holes inside buildings. A system that
inspected interior connections could have caught bad plumbing at the Nicor
facility in Aurora, where more than a
dozen seriously ill current and former employees believe their health was
ravaged by cross-connected pipes
that city documents and an OSHA report show could allow dangerous chemicals into
the water. ...Now, Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles are among the cities looking
to put programs in place that will do more extensive searches of all backflow
protection devices within a building. Every year, hundreds of other people nationwide face
serious and acute illness brought on by drinking water tainted by contaminants
sucked back into their pipes, according to the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency. "To keep a viable program, (inspectors) have to continually
monitor and continually solicit information," said Dave McMillan, field
operations manager in the division of public water supply for Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency. "That water's only as good as the test you make
at that time. That's only a snapshot in time." ...For the last 10 years, the
Illinois EPA has been pushing cities to adopt ordinances that would require
annual inspections of backflow devices. ...Indeed, by 2001, all local cities had
backflow ordinances in place that met or exceeded EPA regulations. But within
that basic framework there's wide variety in how the rules are enforced. Most
towns require all commercial buildings to have a backflow protection device that
restricts water from inside the building getting back into the city's pipes,
through one-way valves. Commercial buildings have typically been the priority
for cities, but with more people putting in underground sprinklers, homes are
also on the radar. Submerged sprinkler systems are particularly susceptible.
Without backflow protection, any large
drop in pressure children opening a fire hydrant, a break in the water main
creates the potential that anything from fertilizer to animal droppings on the lawn will be
sucked back into the water pipes. Local public works directors say it
took a while for some homeowners to understand the importance of installing and
registering their backflow devices, but companies got the message quickly.
"There wasn't an uproar from businesses," said Charlie Foulkes, operator for the
village of Elburn, which has had a backflow ordinance for almost 15 years.
"Right now, it'd be cheaper to put in a device than to later pay for something
that gets into the water." Batavia Sun, Sept. 20, 2006
Brandon voters take up water system repairs "Fire District No. 1 voters will decide today
whether to bond for up to $2.3 million to pay for water system repairs and
improvements that the district's Prudential Committee has called "items of
absolute necessity." A single-family home would pay about $100 a year more by
the district's calculations. ...Committee member Thomas Whittaker said
Monday, "It certainly is an urgent need. It's a chance to make capital
improvements to our infrastructure that are long overdue, in connection with
other town projects, and to spread the debt over a long period of time to make
it more affordable to the ratepayers." Any registered voter will be able to
vote, whether or not they are served by the district's water system... ...The bond would finance several types of
needed improvements: Better fire
protection. About 20 fire hydrants in the system are either in poor
condition or do not work at all. Water pressure needs to increase along North
Street (Route 73)... If fire flow capacity does not increase, the state
will order the removal of some hydrants along the line. New water meters that can be checked using radio
signals. Not only do the meters in place take weeks to tally, they are so often
faulty that the district cannot account for 40 percent of the water that gets
pumped into the system. At the same
time the new meters are put in place, each line will get a backflow prevention
device required by the state to protect against contamination getting
siphoned into the system, which has caused periodic problems. Youngstrom
said West Rutland installed a similar system two years ago..." Rutland Herald,
Sept. 19, 2006
Water protection "All area communities require devices to guard against
accidental contamination. It's a good bet no more than a handful of Aurora's
168,000 residents can name a single employee from the city's Water Department.
Of course, that's just the way they like it. Anonymity is the badge of success
for public utility employees. As long as everything's working the lights turn
on, the sewers don't back up their names don't end up in the newspaper. By and
large, when it flows out of the Aurora water treatment plant on Route 25, the
city's water is in good shape. But that's only half the battle. In Aurora, there
are almost 47,000 businesses and residences that connect to the city water
supply. That also means there are nearly 47,000 places where something could
potentially contaminate the water with "backflow," a plumbing breakdown that
allows chemically treated or tainted water to reverse direction and mix with
drinking water. For the last decade, local towns have worked to protect their
water supply from such a hazard. And yet, gaps in regulation and enforcement still leave unprotected
holes inside buildings. "This issue is overlooked throughout the
country," said Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner. "Here in Aurora, we are making
it a top priority to bring all businesses into compliance." A system that inspected interior connections could have
caught bad plumbing at the Nicor facility in Aurora. More than a dozen seriously
ill current and former employees believe their health was ravaged by
cross-connected pipes that city documents and an OSHA report show could allow
dangerous chemicals into the water. "People underestimate plumbing," said
Bruce Brummel, a sick employee who is trying to bring a lawsuit against Nicor.
"They think, oh, the butt-crack plumber. But it is the difference between life
and death." ...by 2001, all local cities had backflow ordinances in place that
met or exceeded EPA regulations. But within that basic framework there's wide
variety in how the rules are enforced. Most towns require all residential and
commercial buildings to have a backflow protection device that restricts water
from inside the building getting back into the city's pipes, through one-way
valves. Commercial buildings have typically been the priority for cities, but
with more people putting in underground sprinklers, homes are also on the radar.
Submerged sprinkler systems are particularly susceptible. Without backflow
protection, any large drop in pressure children opening a fire hydrant, a
break in the water main creates the potential that anything from fertilizer to
animal droppings on the lawn will be sucked back into the water pipes. ...Cities
have built huge computer databases, which they use to send thousands of annual
reminders that a certified plumber must inspect each backflow device. For a
majority of local towns, enforcement begins with those reminders. Then, the
business or homeowner typically has 30 days to provide a certified plumbing
report that verifies the backflow protection device is functional. Typically, if
two reminders do not get the user's attention, court action or service
disconnection is threatened. No local towns could recall ever taking the last
drastic step. ...In Aurora, a new
aggressive enforcement plan is one of the few municipal programs that would
search out violations like those that allegedly occurred at Nicor. "It's not
exactly a pilot, but we're on the leading edge here," said Daryl Devick,
the city's interim director of public works. Started in January of 2005, the
city first registered all the backflow protection control devices in the city, a
step several other local communities have taken. But Aurora climbed the next
rung with an initiative to also look inside buildings for possible sources of
cross connections. In 19 months, the city has already inspected and certified
all the schools, park district and city buildings, built a database of 3,574
backflow systems. With those buildings
secure, the city has now checked for missing backflow protection devices in 35
percent of all buildings in Aurora, according to the city's latest
report. During those examinations, the city found more than 129 locations where new backflow
protection devices needed to be installed. ...However, once inside a
building, there (has
been) ...little regulation to ensure drinking water and dangerous
water stay separated. More than a dozen seriously ill former and current Nicor
workers believe improper plumbing connections that circulated bad water inside
the Nicor plant at 408 S. River St. led to their health issues. Although the
company has issued repeated denials, documents from the city of Aurora and the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration show Aurora workers were drinking
from pipes that could siphon chemicals out of the building's boiler." The Beacon
News, Sept. 18, 2006
Bad water "Sick Nicor workers believe their chronic illnesses were caused by faulty plumbing.
Ruben Luna's doctor was stumped. The Aurora resident's teeth were falling out,
he had no control over his bowels and the sharp jabs in his gut left him hunched
over daily. "You can't be this sick," the doctor told Luna. "You have the body
of an 80-year-old and you're 30." ...At the Nicor facility in Aurora where Luna
worked for 12 years, plenty of others were in pain. According to a legal
document filed in 2004, dozens of people who worked at the Nicor building at 408
S. River St. developed liver failure, suffered persistent diarrhea and threw up
every day. ...They all believe their
suffering could have been caused by faulty plumbing that city records show could
have allowed chemicals to leak into the drinking water. It's a problem health
officials believe could be responsible for hundreds of illnesses across the
country every year, sickening people who drink from the water fountains in their
office or use contaminated water to wash their food. Bruce Brummel, a
former Nicor employee, has been working for years to get the company to
acknowledge what city of Aurora documents already show: Bad plumbing in the
building's break room meant employees could have been sipping water tainted with
three times the legal levels of methylene chloride. According to the
Environmental Protection Agency, methylene chloride can do damage to the nervous
and blood systems during short exposures. Over years, experts believe it causes
liver damage, cancer and destroys the digestive system. ...In a typical plumbing
system, water comes in from the city's main pipes, then splits into drinking
water and non-potable water used for things like fire prevention sprinklers or,
in the case of Nicor, to run the boiler. In those non-potable areas, the water
mixes with various chemicals. In a safe
system, any place chemicals mix with the water, safety devices called "backflow
preventers" must be installed to ensure the tainted water can't move back into
the drinking supply. Health
officials believe every year hundreds of people across the nation are sickened
by drinking water contaminated in plumbing that lacks backflow
protection. Unlike the Nicor employees, most victims suffer short-term
but severe symptoms, which they attribute to the 24-hour flu or "something they
ate." Health experts and plumbers
contend holes in the state plumbing code or incomplete testing are just as
likely culprit. ...According to city documents, pipes at Nicor that were
supposed to be one-way could allow water to mix with toxic chemicals from the
boiler during low water pressure. Brummel felt he might have discovered an
explanation for the bad coffee and a few other odd occurrences at the office.
The most obvious was the daily lines at the men's rooms. Every morning, shortly
after drinking coffee, the workers would rush to the bathroom. Men in their 20s
and 30s describe lining up three-deep for a stall or running up two floors to
make it to an upstairs bathroom before their diarrhea hit. But no one talked
about it. ...the company also received a warning letter from the city. The Oct. 21 letter, written by city of Aurora
plumbing inspector Robert Thompson to Nicor's building supervisor, said the
company was in violation of the Illinois State Plumbing Code. After inspecting
the boiler room, Thompson wrote that he found the drinking water was directly
connected to a chemically-fed tank. "This type of connection poses a
threat to the quality of potable water for both the employees in the building
and the city's water main," Thompson's letter said. Thompson advised Nicor to immediately have a licensed
plumber install backflow protection to stop the drinkable and dangerous water
from mixing, or permanently disconnect the pipe, city records show.
...Yet, for more than three years, even as workers protested outside their
headquarters, the company has steadfastly denied any problems with the water.
...Chicago law firm Cascino Vaughan Law Offices Ltd., filed for discovery on
behalf of Brummel and 32 other current or former Nicor employees. ..."It's tough
when the little guy takes on the big corporation but we're going to do this,"
Daniels said. "I feel confident with our case. We're full steam ahead. Daniels
said he is not intimidated by the cost or complexity of a suit. His only worry
was that all of the plaintiffs would see the end of their effort. "It's going to be a huge case, one of the
biggest in Illinois history," Daniels predicted. "It's an absolute tragedy what happened."" The Beacon
News, Sept. 17, 2006 (Meanwhile, the company continues to deny any problem, see
the following)
Nicor denies contamination issue again "In a letter sent Friday morning to The
Beacon News, Nicor once again stressed that no employees were put at risk by
plumbing within the company's facility at 408 S. River St. here. More than a
dozen former and current employees believe they were sickened by drinking water
that was contaminated by methylene chloride, which was leaking from a boiler
into the drinking water in the building. In two past responses to The Beacon
News, on Oct. 21, 2005, and again on March 1, 2006, Nicor asserted there was never a potentially dangerous
plumbing system. In Friday's response,
Nicor also challenged a letter the city of Aurora sent after a site inspection
of the Nicor building in October of 2003. "There is no backflow
protection on this potable water feed," the city's letter said. After viewing
the pipes around the boiler, the city plumbing inspector wrote he found the
drinking water was directly connected to a chemically fed tank and that "this
type of connection poses a threat to the quality of potable water for both the
employees in the building and the city's water main." Although this
letter was quoted in previous Beacon News inquiries to Nicor, on Friday the
company asserted for the first time that the inspector's letter was wrong.
...City representatives could not be reached for comment Friday. The
company also for the first time asserts that it had "check valves" (NOTE: i.e., not an approved & tested
RPBP as would be required) on the boiler, which it claims would have
protected employees. Check valves are simple, spring-loaded devices that can be
used to make pipes flow one way. Nicor points out and permits verify that
after the letter from the city, the company did install reduced pressure zone
"RPZ" valves, which use a double-check system and are usually installed near
potentially hazardous chemicals. However, Nicor says this installation was done
as a show of good faith, rather than an admission of a problem. ...Nicor
also pointed out that the 408 S. River St. facility was built in the 1900s, renovated in the
1960s, and operated within the state plumbing codes of that
time." The Beacon News, Sept. 17, 2006
Public Health Fact Sheet: E. coli "Escherichia coli (E. coli) are bacteria that
normally live in the intestines of humans and animals. Although most strains are
harmless, several are known to produce toxins that can cause diarrhea. One
particular E. coli strain called O157:H7 can cause severe diarrhea and kidney
damage. ...E. coli O157:H7 can be acquired by eating contaminated food.
...Contaminated drinking water and swimming in contaminated shallow lakes may
also cause infection. ...What can I do to prevent infection? Do not eat
undercooked hamburger or other ground beef products. Cook roasts to at least
1300 F and other ground beef to 1570 F. Venison should be cooked to 1650...Drink
municipal water that has been treated with chlorine or other effective
disinfectants. Protect all water
sources from contamination and use backflow prevention devices where
appropriate." cbs5.com, Sept. 14, 2006
Updating Regulatory Protection of Water Supply Against
Contamination by Backflow "It
has long been realised that available guidance upon the appropriate backflow
protection required for protecting the water supply from a downstream risk
covers only a fraction of the installations and processes in use within the UK.
DEFRA have commissioned this report to expand the available guidance to include
installations specified in America, Australia, Europe and the Water Industry
agreed fluid risks for installations since the introduction of the Water Supply
(Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. The main source of information being from the
Water Industry Committees... ... The method of categorising the contamination
risk in Australia and America is different than that in the UK as they
categorise the contaminant risk as High, Medium and Low and specify the exact
type of backflow preventer that is to be used to protect the water supply from
that specific risk." Nov. 2005, Foundation for Water
Research
U.S. Water
Pipes Need Repair "Much of the
nation's water distribution system will need to be replaced in the next three
decades, according to a report by the National Research Council. Many of the 1
million miles of pipes that carry drinking water to Americans throughout the
nation are nearing the end of their expected life span, the report said, and an
increasing proportion of waterborne disease outbreaks are linked to
contamination of distribution systems. "The water industry is entering an era
where it will have to make substantial investments in pipe assessment, repair
and replacement," the report said. The type and age of the pipes that make up
the nation's water distribution system range from cast iron pipes installed
during the late 19th century to ductile iron pipe and to plastic pipes installed
in the 1970s and beyond. The report finds that most water systems and
distribution pipes will be reaching the end of their expected lives within the
next 30 years. The study calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
to work with states to establish consistent "cross-connection" control programs
and to improve and unify plumbing codes. It also calls on the federal agency to
conduct or fund epidemiology studies that specifically target the distribution
system component of waterborne disease. "Current regulatory programs have not
removed the potential for outbreaks attributable to distribution system-related
factors," the report said..." Environment News Service, Sept. 11,
2006
Health regulations close
popular watering hole "For years the fountain on Mount Woodside has
been offering spring water to residents throughout Agassiz and Harrison. But,
this source that has become a favoured local landmark and object of pride for
residents will soon dry up. A small metal sign declares the site can no longer
offer spring water due to new Health Canada regulations. The Drinking Water
Protection Act in B.C. stipulates that any surface water needs to be treated in
order to be considered safe to drink. The water that comes from the fountain is
actually a surface water supply as it is a spring that comes up through the
ground and therefore subject to above ground contamination, says Lisa Thibault,
the spokesperson for Fraser Health. ...Leading Brands has owned the Mt. Woodside
Spring Site since the early 1990s. They constructed the current fountain. Prior
to this fountain there was a pipe coming from the side of the mountain and a
trough where people could gather their water. The fountain that Joe Dec had
constructed in the 1950s has long since fallen - perhaps from vandalism or with
time, no one recalls for certain. Joe Dec was a long time resident who owned the
property with the spring. Joe built the fountain in the 1950s so that his
neighbours could enjoy access to pure spring water. ...The Drinking Water
Protection Act in B.C. was first presented in 2001. The regulations to enforce
the act came in place in 2003 and were amended in 2005. The act was to ensure
that any surface water needs to be treated before it can be considered safe to
drink. The site was not closed because ..anything (was) found wrong with
the water." Hope Standard, Sept. 7, 2006
Water customers may lose service "Some residents might have their city water
service shut off after avoiding a mandatory inspection of a valve in their lawn
sprinkling systems. The reduced
pressure zone valve prevents backflow into the city's water system. When
a resident shuts off a sprinkler, some water is trapped in the hose. The water
could grow stagnant after a while. The valve prevents stagnant water from
re-entering and contaminating the water system. Valves must be inspected each
year. It is usually located where the sprinkling system exits the residence,
said James Antole, interim city administrator. The city on Tuesday sent out shutoff warnings for eight
customers who have avoided the inspection after three notices this summer. Those
customers will lose water service if they don't have the inspection done within
45 days. ...The inspection is required for more than 400 customers
mostly residential and some commercial who have sprinkler systems registered
with the city. Initial notices were sent out in June. Second notices were sent
out to customers who didn't respond. Out of that group, 45 customers received a
third notice within the last four weeks for failure to obtain an inspection. The
eight residents are the remaining stragglers who didn't respond after the third
notice." The Herald News, Sept. 8, 2006
Franklin may spend thousands to upgrade housing projects
marked for demolition "Stricter city water regulations are forcing Franklin public housing officials
to spend almost half their $478,710 capital budget to add water backflow
prevention devices to the citys public-assisted housing facilities. That
equipment, which prevents water from flowing back into public water lines, could
cost between $220,000 and $250,000 to install, according to Larry Fratesi, a
Franklin Housing Authority consultant. ...Were just going to have to do it,
said Fratesi about the backflow expenses. How much work we get done in 2007 (on
Reddick) could be affected by that item." Tennessean.com, Sept. 5,
2006
Grey Water
Revisited "At the time of
the pioneering work on grey water systems in the mid 1980s, grey water was considered an innovation
reserved for ecologists with special
environmental concerns, and for those
rare instances where it could be economically justified in truly water short areas....Today, the ecological movement has become the
mainstream of design, and "green"
architecture and engineering is all the
vogue. Water has become a scarce and costly commodity everywhere, with water costs often exceeding
electricity charges in major cities
worldwide." www.asse-plumbing.org
Re-used water meeting all wet "Last Thursday evening, a meeting was held at the Civic
Center on Sixth Street in Pompano. This was to be an "informational meeting" to
explain the OASIS project to residents of Harbor Village. Re-used water is to be
provided at a reduced cost to the residents who wish to hook up to it. There are
several advantages to the system, according to the city water people: Saving
natural resources, a cost per thousand gallons less than half of drinking water,
treatment to be safe for watering lawns, even during drought periods, use of
less fertilizer needed on the lawns, and of course, the pride in the fact that
Harbor Village is first in South Florida. However, some of the serious negatives
were: Cannot get on pets or people, or allowed to get on automobiles, cost of
the meter and the check valve, cost of the plumber to install piping from the
meter to the sprinkler system, cost of a yearly inspection and permit for the
backflow device, total cost to the resident between $1,000 and $2,000 to hook up
to the system depending on plumbing costs.The 100 or so residents who went to
this meeting were asking many questions that went unanswered by the city, and to
say the crowd was hostile is an understatement. ...I doubt that anyone who heard
the speakers at this meeting will hook up to the re-use system. It is a shame
that the people who held this meeting were so unprepared to answer questions or
make any suggestions on how to rectify the cost of hooking up. I estimate that
it would take many years to recoup the cost of allowing this system, not to
mention the possible dangers in using this water near pets or children."
Sun-Sentinel, Aug. 31, 2006
Councils 'not testing water contamination' "The Master Plumbers Association says
councils across Queensland are risking the contamination of local water
supplies. It says councils are legally required to maintain a register of
backflow prevention devices, which prevent hazardous pollutants from entering
the main water supply. Spokesman Adrian Hart says the devices require annual
testing and councils from Cairns to Toowoomba are not complying with the
legislation. "If that's not maintained on a regular basis, you have a situation
where potentially, you're allowing poisons and fertilisers and other impure
water to come back into our drinking supply," he said. "Say, for instance, a
funeral director - they may be aspirating a body, so you have potential for
bodily fluids to be drawn back into the drinking supply and we certainly don't
want to be drinking that."" ABC News Online, Aug. 28, 2006
China's inventors need investment and IPR
protection "With China
suffering its worst drought in 50 years, a Chinese inventor who created a device
to cut toilet water usage by 83 percent has found it impossible to sell --
despite winning a government award for his work. Jia Tiexan, 52, sold his home
to attract investment and set up a company to put the device into production,
only to see his money trickle down the drain. However, a patent on his device to
cut the amount of water used in each flush from the standard six liters to just
one earned him a 3,000-yuan prize in the first individual invention
competition... With a magnetic valve to prevent a backflow of dirty water and a
pressure converter to increase the force of the flush, the invention also
prevents bacteria spreading. ...Jia's invention has proved successful after more
than two years of practical use, but he still has no investment support despite
the fact that China is in the grip of the worst drought in half a century, which
has left millions of people without sufficient water. ...Liu Shikuan, director
of the Intellectual Property Office of northwestern China's Gansu Province, said the main reason for the lack of
investment was that many individual inventions failed to meet market demand. The
government has made innovation a national strategy, and created an incentive
system to encourage innovation and facilitate the industrialization of patents."
People's Daily Online, Aug. 25, 2006
Responding to Pressure-Loss Events "What is a
pressure-loss event and what causes it? A pressure-loss event occurs when pressure in the water
distribution system drops significantly below normal. These events may be
planned or unplanned. For example, system operators may plan to reduce pressure
when they install, replace or repair water lines. Unplanned pressure loss can be
caused by broken water mains, a failed pumping system, power outages, leaking
storage reservoirs and excessive demand. Should I be concerned about pressure loss events in my
water system? Yes. Pressure loss
can be a serious threat to public health. A reduction or loss of pressure in the
distribution system can result in backflow, allowing contaminants to enter
drinking water through unprotected cross-connections. Backflow is a reverse of
normal water flow due to back pressure or back siphonage that occurs when the
pressure of a polluted source exceeds the pressure in the distribution system.
Backflow incidents have caused illness, injury and, in some cases, death."
Washington DOH, April 2006