After spending a day out in the sun mowing the lawn, trimming the hedge and spraying fertilizer on the grass, a man decides to reward himself with a nice, cool drink from the garden hose. On his way inside, he feels sick and falls to the ground in pain. An hour later, he dies. Remains of the fertilizer in his garden hose poisoned him.

This horrifying scenario occurs all too often and, many times, results in harmful, even fatal consequences. What causes this reaction? It's called backflow, and it can pollute and contaminate your water supply without you even noticing it.

Backflow is simply any reversal of water's normal direction of flow. Backflow contamination occurs when the normal flow of safe drinking water is reversed, allowing contaminated water to enter the drinking water supply. What may seem as an odd occurrence is actually an ongoing concern for the Environmental Protection Agency. At least 100,000 cases of contamination from backflow occur in the United States every day.

Back-pressure backflow is the reversal of normal flow in a system due to an increase in the downstream pressure within the system of the property, above that of the supply pressure. This occurs whenever the downstream pressure exceeds supply pressure.

Back-siphonage is the reversal of normal flow in a system caused by negative pressure in the pipping, creating a vacuum. This occurs when there is a shortage or stoppage in the water supply.

The most dangerous culprit of backflow contamination is the garden hose. If any hose is connected to a harmful substance, there is a chance the substance could slip into the home's water supply. For example, if your water pressure drops while you are fertilizing your lawn with a hose attachment, then whatever is mixed with your water could be sucked back into the pipes. Such water pressure drops are not uncommon. If you are filling your pool or hot tub with water from the hose, the submerged nozzle could be sucking harmful chemicals into your home's water supply.

Be wary of chemicals such as weed and insect killers, lawn fertilizers, sink cleanser and standing water in wading pools, birdbaths, etc.

Products such as a double check-valve or an anti-siphon sprinkler prevent backflow from contaminating your water supply. Another solution to the backflow problem is the reduced pressure zone (RPZ) valve. If back-pressure builds up and the check valve does not hold, the zone will pressurize and cause a relief valve to open, preventing possible contamination.

Follow these common sense safety steps:
-Keep the end of the hose clear of any possible contaminants.
-Never submerge hoses in buckets, sinks, tubs, or pools.
-Don't use spray attachments without a backflow prevention device.
-Purchase and install inexpensive backflow prevention devices for all your home's faucets.

If you have any questions about backflow, give us a call.