If you are not sure if you have adequate backflow protection, please contact our Backflow Prevention Program at (503) 472-6919, ext. 5.
Backflow FAQs
Testing in Oregon must be done by a Certified Backflow Tester. McMinnville Water & Light maintains list of testers (PDF).
Like any mechanical device, a backflow prevention assembly is subject to failure. The State of Oregon requires that all assemblies be tested once each year by a certified tester. Annual testing ensures that assemblies are operating as designed. They must also be tested at the time of installation, after repairs and after relocation.
A cross connection is a connection between drinking water and other water or fluids of unknown quality. Examples include lawn irrigation, boilers, wells, fire sprinkler systems, and swimming pools or hot tubs that are hard piped for filling purposes. To prevent cross connection, backflow preventers are installed to stop the backflow of contaminated water into the drinkable water supply.
Water systems depend on water pressure to keep water flowing in the proper direction through the pipes. However, anything that causes a drop in water pressure, such as a water main break or heavy use during a fire, can create a reverse flow from the customer’s plumbing system back into the public water system. This is called backflow. Backflow can also occur when the customer’s water system has a higher pressure than the public water system.