IAPMO Senior Director of Government Relations Jim Scarborough made me aware of a recently passed backflow law in Delaware (HB458). The law prohibits counties and municipalities from requiring backflow preventers and their periodic inspection in certain low-hazard residential, professional office, and commercial buildings. Despite its widespread support among Delaware lawmakers, the law is, in my view, shortsighted for several reasons:
- The law removes local authority by limiting the ability of local governments to adopt backflow requirements they believe are appropriate for local water system conditions.
- A building classified as low hazard today may contain equipment, processes, or plumbing modifications tomorrow that increase crossconnection risks.
- Eliminating installation or inspection requirements increases reliance on hazard classifications rather than physical protection. Classifications may be, and often are, incorrect.
Supporters argue that the law, which unfortunately reflects a broader national trend, lowers costs for homeowners and businesses by eliminating installation and inspection requirements where backflow is considered unlikely to pose a health risk. The tradeoff is a troubling retreat from one of government’s most fundamental responsibilities: protecting public health and safety. I hope it does not take a backflow incident in which someone becomes seriously ill for Delaware’s law, and others like it, to be reconsidered.
WHERE DOES BACKFLOW OCCUR?
The other day, while traveling to an event in my car with a friend, we heard the old Hank Snow classic “I’ve Been Everywhere” on the radio. In the song, a wary hitchhiker tells the truck driver who gives him a ride, “Listen bud, I’ve traveled every road in this here land!” He goes on to comically recount the places he’s been. “Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma, Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma …” — nearly 100 places in total. As the song played, I smiled and told my friend, who is not in our industry, “You know what? Backflow occurs in all those places too.” She acknowledged my comment with a “Huh?”
Therein lies the problem. Most people, including many lawmakers, are simply unaware of the risks posed by cross-connections and do not realize that backflow is not an occasional anomaly. It is an ever-present possibility wherever potable water systems exist. On more than one occasion, I have heard public officials charged with protecting the health of the public say, “We don’t have backflow here, John.” My response is often inspired by Backflow Prevention Institute Vice President Sean Cleary’s elegantly simple description of backflow: “High pressure goes to low pressure, period.” It occurs in Dover, Delaware and La Paloma, Texas. It happens everywhere:
BOILER SYSTEMS WITH CHEMICAL TREATMENT
Boiler and hydronic systems commonly utilize corrosion inhibitors, oxygen scavengers, antifreeze solutions, biocides, and other chemical treatment additives. Backflow from these systems can introduce hazardous chemicals into potable water systems, particularly during pressure fluctuations or improper maintenance. ASSE standards recognize boilers with chemical treatment as high-hazard cross-connections that often require reduced pressure principle backflow preventers and routine testing by qualified personnel.
CAR WASHES
Numerous backflow incidents have been documented at car wash facilities, with neighboring residents reporting discolored, foamy, and chemically contaminated water at their taps. Cross-connections associated with detergent injection systems, recycled water systems, chemical dispensers, and high-pressure washing equipment can create significant risks to public water supplies. These incidents remain classic examples of why car washes require robust crossconnection control programs and properly installed ASSE-listed backflow prevention assemblies.
CHEMICAL PLANTS AND INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
Process piping, chemical feed systems, manufacturing equipment, and industrial operations can introduce toxic substances into potable water systems. Numerous documented backflow incidents involving acids, caustics, solvents, and other hazardous chemicals underscore the importance of the protections addressed by ASSE standards for backflow prevention products, qualified installers, testers, and cross-connection control professionals.
COOLING TOWERS AND CHILLERS
Cooling towers and chilled water systems frequently contain chemical treatment programs designed to control scale, corrosion, and biological growth. Cooling tower water may include biocides, antifreeze, inhibitors, and naturally occurring microorganisms such as Legionella. Because contamination from these systems can present significant health concerns, cooling towers are widely recognized as high-hazard cross-connections requiring robust backflow prevention measures and ongoing monitoring.
DENTAL OFFICES
Dental vacuum systems, specialized treatment equipment, ultrasonic cleaners, and other dental devices present significant contamination risks. The Uniform Plumbing Code® (UPC®) requires portable cleaning equipment and dental vacuum pumps to be protected from backflow by an air gap, vacuum breaker, or reduced pressure principle backflow preventer. Backflow incidents involving dental equipment can expose potable water systems to biological contaminants, cleaning chemicals, and treatment byproducts, making proper cross-connection control essential.
