Many states require backflow prevention at the service connection (AKA containment). Often, that’s where cross-connection control program responsibilities end—at least, from a regulatory standpoint.
But cross-connection hazards don’t stop at the service connection. Internal plumbing presents myriad opportunities for cross-connections and contamination risks. Utilities regularly face unseen risks from:
- Renovations and upgrades that bypass cross-connection control review
- New cross-connections that are created without installing proper protection
- Overlooked cross-connection control permits and inspections
Annual testing alone isn’t enough to address these risks. First, you can only test backflow preventers you know about. That means you inadvertently pass over risks you’re unaware of. Gaps in documentation often allow altered plumbing, faulty installations, and unknown backflow preventers to escape oversight. Beyond missed assemblies, public water systems must recognize that not all backflow preventers are testable—but these non-testable backflow preventers should still be verified to ensure adequate protection.
As cross-connection control grows increasingly complex, the need for complete data grows increasingly necessary.
Hazards in Focus
Top Backflow Risks & What Protects Your Drinking Water
The Most Common Cross-Connection Hazards
Public water systems might have tens of thousands of service connections, and each service connection holds the potential for dozens (or even hundreds) of cross-connections. If you don’t look, you won’t find these hazards.
In cross-connection control surveys conducted in public water systems across the country, HydroCorp has identified thousands of hazardous connections. The most common one? A missing hose bibb vacuum breaker. While this shows up the most frequently—in large part, due to the vast number of hose bibb connections in every public water system—other cross-connections certainly aren’t under-represented. In the last two years, we’ve identified:
- 2,600+ missing air gaps on water softener discharge
- 2,000+ chemically treated boilers with no backflow preventer
- 1,600+ incorrectly installed backflow preventers
- 1,300+ soap dispenser mixers incorrectly connected to utility sinks
- 1,300+ soda fountain carbonators with missing backflow preventers
- 900+ residential boilers with no backflow preventer
- 800+ industrial use hose drops with the wrong backflow preventer
- 700+ improper plumbing installation
- 600+ toilet tanks with unapproved or incorrectly installed backflow preventers
This list, while far from exhaustive, demonstrates just how prevalent unprotected cross-connections are in every public water system.
Where Hazards Hide
By nature, cross-connection risks don’t disappear after a survey and subsequent corrections. New risks are continuously created that require diligent attention and ongoing mitigation efforts. State plumbing codes and regulations define a cross-connection hazard as any potential or actual cross-connection, meaning if there’s a chance of a connection, protection is required.
Temporary Fixes that Create Long-Term Risk
Maintenance hoses and temporary lines created during construction or renovations create the risk of direct connection to tanks or chemical systems. Additionally, backflow protection is often removed and never replaced during system modifications and equipment upgrades. This leaves the potable water system unprotected after work is completed. These connections are easily overlooked (they’re just temporary, right?) and repeatedly created as work is done on properties throughout a public water system.
Residential Connections that Hide in Plain Sight
Residential properties are often overlooked in cross-connection control efforts. But critical issues—like missing hose bibb vacuum breakers—are stunningly common. The ease of correcting a missing vacuum breaker should make these unprotected cross-connections a priority. Where backflow protection is missing, the public water system faces a real and direct threat.
Beyond hose spigots, high-hazard irrigation systems are another common blind spot. Additions or changes to irrigation systems frequently lack backflow review, leading to missed connections and placing the distribution system at risk of contamination.
Facility Modifications that Escape Inspection
In commercial, industrial, and healthcare facilities, manufacturer safeguards that protect against contamination may be altered on OEM backflow prevention. This can occur on equipment like soda machines, boilers, and lab stations.
Fire protection systems, which exist in virtually every facility, require backflow prevention, too. Expansions, chemical additions, or modifications are often implemented without a cross-connection control reevaluation, allowing stagnant water intrusion and the potential for chemical and bacterial contamination. Often, these sprinkler systems are grandfathered in until a system is retrofitted, leaving hidden risks throughout a public water system.
Protecting Your System
If backflow testing alone is insufficient, how do you effectively identify and correct unprotected cross-connections throughout your utility? You need:
- A thorough, written cross-connection control policy
- A local ordinance that establishes enforcement authority
- A schedule to conduct on-site surveys on a recurring basis
- Solid documentation that supports backflow testing efforts
- A public awareness program to drive participation by property owners
When you implement a comprehensive cross-connection control program, you get visibility into all corners of your public water system, expanding your knowledge of existing hazards, correcting risks, and educating your community to equip them to take a proactive role in protecting their water supply.
Ready to see how HydroCorp can support public water systems like yours with cross-connection control?
