Mountain Water customers expect the water supplied to them to be safe and healthful. In pursuit of this goal, Mountain Water Company has expended considerable resources to protect the water from contamination or pollution as it flows through the distribution system. Once the water leaves the distribution system and flows into the customer’s plumbing, we lose sanitary control over the water and by law, we cannot allow it to return to the distribution system. It is possible for contamination to occur when a water supply line is connected to equipment containing a non-potable (unfit to drink) substance. A water line may be connected to a tank filled with acid, or a hose may drop into a bucket of cleaning solution. These connections, called Cross-Connections, are defined as any unprotected actual or potential connection between a public or consumer’s potable water system and any other source through which it is possible to introduce into any part of the potable system any used water, industrial fluid, gas, or any substance other than the intended potable water with which the system is supplied. These cross-connections, whether permanent or temporary, are dangerous if no protective measures are taken.

Backflow can occur when the pressure in the distribution system drops, siphoning water or other materials from the consumer’s system into the distribution system. For example, if you apply herbicide using an aspirator connected to a garden hose, under the right conditions, the herbicide can be drawn from its container and into your household plumbing. Backflow can also siphon any substance which is in contact with the water system through an unprotected cross-connection. Consumers must be aware of cross-connections and how to prevent them or protect such connections with the appropriate backflow prevention assembly. If you would like more information on backflow protection, please call Gary Mitchell at 721-5570.