Since 2021, Aug. 16 has marked National Backflow Prevention Day. This day was established to celebrate the technologies and professionals protecting the safety and quality of our potable water supply and commemorate those who contribute to keeping the public safe from cross-contamination.

Backflow prevention is an often overlooked, frequently misunderstood and critically important water safety topic. Because of its significance, there remains a pressing need for further education on backflow and backflow prevention.

Understanding Backflow

You’d be forgiven for being unfamiliar with backflow prevention. Whenever we turn the tap, most of us take for granted that our water is clean, clear and healthy, free from harmful contaminants that could negatively impact our wellbeing. This lack of familiarity is a good indication that the backflow preventers in your community are working as intended.

According to the American Backflow Prevention Association, backflow is the “undesirable reversal or flow of fluids, chemicals or any other foreign material into the public drinking water system.” 

It occurs at cross-connections, any point in a plumbing system where it is possible for a nonpotable substance to encounter potable drinking water. This can allow harmful bacteria and contaminants to be introduced into our drinking water supply. 

Numerous notable backflow incidents highlight the need for awareness and adoption of backflow prevention programs, but one tragic event stands out: the very first documented backflow disaster — Chicago’s 1933 World’s Fair. A cross-connection between the event’s two main hotels resulted in an outbreak of amebic dysentery, a severe and potentially fatal gastrointestinal illness. It is believed that every hotel occupant was infected, resulting in approximately 1,700 illnesses and 98 deaths. 

This tragic event (and others like it) continues to serve as a driving factor in backflow prevention innovation: 

• They are the motivation behind the implementation of regulatory mandates for cross-connection control programs as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. 

• They are the impetus for an industry-wide push toward smarter, connected backflow preventers. 

• They are the driving force behind the contentious debate between containment and isolation backflow programs and where devices should be located to best protect our communities. 

With each new generation of valves and connected features, we remember that backflow prevention, at the heart of it, saves lives.

Evolution of Backflow Technology

The three most common forms of backflow preventer are the pressure vacuum breaker (PVB), the double check valve (DCV) assembly and the reduced pressure zone (RPZ) assembly. PVB assemblies are designed to prevent backsiphonage, the reversal of normal flow caused by negative pressure in a water system. 

DCV assemblies are designed for use in non-health-hazard cross-connections and continuous pressure applications with the risk of backpressure or backsiphonage, such as lawn sprinklers, fire sprinkler lines, commercial pools, tanks, vats, and more. RPZ assemblies are designed to protect against high-hazard, continuous-pressure applications and provide a visual indicator in the form of discharging water from the relief valve if there is a fouled check. 

These foundational technologies still see widespread usage today and form the basis for all advancements.

Unfortunately, despite the existence of the technology, widespread adoption wouldn’t occur until the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. The passage of this landmark legislation established a mandate requiring all public water systems to both equip cross-connections with appropriate backflow preventers and regularly test equipment to ensure optimal performance. With this requirement set in place, the adoption of backflow prevention technology skyrocketed, and where there is a need, innovation is sure to follow. 

Since then, the evolution of backflow technology has been a story of tried-and-true meeting bold and new. More recently, the industry has moved toward adopting “smart and connected” solutions that allow plumbing professionals greater insight and control of backflow preventers. These technologies include:

• Flood detection. Allows users to monitor for excess RPZ discharge 24/7, empowering commercial properties to reduce water waste and prevent costly property damage with real-time notifications of backflow discharge via a building management system (BMS) or mobile app.

• Freeze detection. Helps users in typically moderate climates prevent damage and waste from unexpected cold spells with real-time alerts when freezing conditions are detected via BMS, irrigation management system and Wi-Fi. 

Additionally, freeze detection helps prevent damage to fire-related backflow pipes and other water-carrying equipment that could be at risk for freeze damage. This enables property owners to prevent costly, time-consuming freeze damage, reduce water waste and save money by avoiding replacing destroyed backflow preventers.

• Fire tamper detection. Eliminate the manual field installation and calibration of fire supervisory switches and reduce the opportunity for human error associated with installing aftermarket tamper switches. Supervisory switches are designed to connect via BMS, provide continuous monitoring and activate local alarms if the tamper switch is removed or the valve closes.

• Pressure monitoring. Keep users informed with continuous, real-time monitoring of backflow preventer performance. Helps stay two steps ahead of backflow events with constant pressure monitoring at critical points in the system, providing a sense of security that comes from unparalleled system insight via BMS.

These industry-leading technologies improve foundationally sound equipment with novel advancements designed to enhance performance, lower costs of operation and maintenance, meet sustainability benchmarks and, more than anything else, protect our communities from harm.

Concerns and Considerations

Since the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, backflow technology has developed at an incredible pace. From smaller designs to easier servicing features to smart and connected valves, backflow preventers continue to evolve. However, even the greatest technology is only as effective as its implementation. 

Historically, people are hesitant to adopt innovative technologies for many reasons, including a lack of familiarity and comfort with existing solutions. However, the beauty of smart and connected technology is in its simplicity. These solutions don’t seek to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they provide new levels of control and insight for the same backflow prevention valves you are already familiar with. 

Smart and connected has the potential to maximize the efficacy of backflow prevention programs everywhere; hesitation to adopt this technology is not without its risks. 

The fact is that America’s water infrastructure is aging rapidly. The average age of most water piping in the United States is 45, with some cast-iron pipe pushing well over a century old. According to a 2021 report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, it’s estimated that a water main break occurs every two minutes in the United States. 

This introduces countless opportunities for backflow incidents to occur, which is exactly what happened in 1986 in Lacey’s Chapel, Ala., when a water main break caused the backflow of sodium hydroxide, a caustic chemical known better as lye, into the water systems of dozens of homes. Drinking water pH measured as high as 13 (on par with bleach) in some homes. This is only one example of many.

As water industry professionals, it is our obligation to provide the best possible protection for our most precious resource. Joining the push to adopt these new technologies will empower businesses and communities alike to keep their people and properties safer. The benefits speak for themselves: 

• Save money on the installation and maintenance of new backflow preventers.

• Protect equipment, property and, most importantly, people from the harmful impact of backflow.

• Access unmatched system insight to ensure optimal performance and stop backflow incidents before they can occur.

• Protect your customer’s building’s data and performance.

• Specifying tech that proactively addresses the next generation of backflow and water safety concerns.

What’s Next?

Our communities need smart, connected, effective backflow prevention technologies now more than ever, and it’s on us all to educate the public on the importance of backflow prevention. Understanding and embracing advanced backflow prevention technologies is not only about compliance with backflow codes and regulations; it’s about safeguarding our communities and ensuring the purity of our water supply for generations to come.

We invite you to join Watts on Aug. 16, 2024, to celebrate National Backflow Prevention Day! As part of our ongoing commitment to raising awareness and honoring the people and products protecting our most precious resource, we are proud to offer training courses through Watts Works, our comprehensive online learning platform, as well as a brand-new continuing education webinar designed to provide in-depth knowledge on the new, emerging technologies in backflow prevention. 

Together, we can make a profound impact on the safety and health of our communities.

Nadeem Mirza is a senior product manager at Watts. A seasoned electrical engineer by trade with more than 20 years of experience developing innovative IoT solutions, he oversees Ames, FEBCO, and Watts backflow prevention products, and leads the Smart and Connected initiatives within that space. You can reach him at Nadeem.Mirza@wattswater.com.

Dylan Fredette is a writer at Watts and a passionate advocate for backflow prevention awareness and safety.