FAQs

An adult 18 years of age or older must be present during the inspection.

Yes. These inspections are conducted in order to ensure compliance with state regulations and/or local ordinances to maintain the safety of your drinking water.

Penalties for refusing to cooperate with inspections and/or refusing to make needed repairs are determined by your local water utility. These typically can include termination of water service, a fine, or both.

If you are the owner of the building being inspected, you are responsible for any needed repairs. Renters may have to refer to their lease agreements in order to determine whether they are responsible for repairs.

Inspection frequency is based on the “degree of hazard” a facility poses to water safety. Facilities that pose a greater risk to the public water system need to be inspected more frequently (typically every 1-2 years, depending on state regulations and local cross-connection control plans).

All facilities connected to the public water supply are required to be inspected for cross-connections. Most programs strive to ensure that all facilities receive an initial inspection during their first 3-5 years of operation. If a neighboring business has not been inspected yet, it will receive its initial inspection at some later date as required.

All connections to the public water supply are required to be inspected for cross-connections in order to maintain the safety of your drinking water. You may have been inadvertently overlooked in the past; however, thorough inspections of all connections to the water supply are required.

Call our office and let them know that you have completed the necessary requirements and are ready for a compliance inspection.

This means you have all necessary backflow prevention devices and assemblies in place to protect public water supplies. This inspection is valid until your facility’s next scheduled inspection date. If you have any testable assemblies on-site, you will receive an additional notice detailing testing requirements.

Yes. We just need a name and number so that the inspector can contact you to set up a time that is convenient for you.

Manufacturers’ requirements, state plumbing codes, and local cross-connection control programs usually require annual backflow prevention assembly testing.

There are two parts to the Cross-connection Control Program. The first is an on-site inspection by a Cross-connection Control Inspector to ensure that the proper backflow prevention devices and assemblies are in place to protect your drinking water. Some of the assemblies the inspector finds or asks you to install are testable assemblies, which are mechanical and can malfunction. The annual testing notice refers to testing the operation of these backflow prevention assemblies. These tests must be performed by a certified backflow prevention assembly tester every year.

“Grandfathering” is not typically permitted due to the high importance of maintaining drinking water safety.

The anti-siphon fill valve device is located in the tank of your toilet. This device has a dual purpose: To fill the toilet and prevent backflow. This device must be placed at the proper height in order to insure that water from your toilet does not backflow into your drinking water. Proper placement is typically done during the installation process but can be easily overlooked. This device must be raised or the overflow pipe must be cut down in order to achieve a 1” air gap separation between the “critical level” of the assembly.