You never know what a terrorist will do, that’s why they are so terrifying. It has been known that they would like to poison our water systems. To combat this possibility, several scenarios have been tested to see how easy or hard it might be to contaminate a water system. One scenario is where a terrorist injects a contaminant into a faucet in a hotel room, and the terrorist leaves before his chemicals are totally pumped into the system. This is why a backflow prevention system is a must for any commercial building where contaminated water can enter the public water supply.
Contaminated water can be a serious health issue. There are over 10,000 reported cases of backflow contamination each year. To prevent the reverse flow of water contaminated with feces, pesticides, chemicals, fertilizer and other hazardous materials a backflow prevention device is required at each cross-connection point in plumbing systems.
Backflow is the unwanted reversal of flow of a liquid, gas, or suspended solid in the potable water supply. Where a potable water system connects with a non-potable water system is a cross connection. A backflow preventer is installed at the cross connections. Back siphonage occurs when a vacuum is created upstream of the backflow device and water is literally sucked back up the system. It can happen when the water supply is stopped due to a water main break or nearby fire hydrant use. Back pressure is when the pressure downstream of the backflow devices exceeds the supply. This can occur if the supply pressure is reduced, or if the pressure downstream is increased. Installing a backflow prevention system can stop unnecessary contamination of water.
Since backflow prevention is an emergency system, inspection is required on a regular basis. Without regular inspectIon and installation, a faulty system could endanger the lives of people who drink water connected to the systems. In the past, a lack of working backflow prevention has even led to drinking water contamination of entire towns!
The installation, inspection and certification of backflow prevention systems should always be handled by professionals who are experienced with such systems. If you have questions regarding your backflow prevention system, contact Fire Control Systems for more information.
