Could Backflow Happen To You?

Have you ever experienced backflow in your plumbing system? This is a problem that sometimes happens when there is either a major incident with the water supply, such as a burst water main, or when a very large amount of water is being used for some reason, such as when the fire department is fighting a fire and are hooked up to the municipal water system.

Backflow means that sewer water reverses direction and travels up the line. It can cause your plumbing fixtures to back up, as well as contamination of your drinking water. Drinking contaminated water could lead to serious diseases.

So what can prevent backflow from happening? There are devices called atmospheric vacuum breakers that are designed specifically for preventing back-pressure and back-siphonage in your water lines. This is a fairly inexpensive fix to the problem. You will recognize these devices as a square shaped pipe overground.