WHAT IS BACKPRESSURE?
Backflow is the reversal of flow of any substance into the safe drinking water distribution system. Backflow, in this situation is due to backpressure.
In all the examples below we are talking about backpressure.
When certain conditions occur, such as in all the examples below, any unprotected cross-connections on premises can cause contamination within the city’s drinking water.
FIGURE 1:
In this example, everything is operating correctly. The Water Source (1) (the place where our water comes from) is the water tower. The water then flows out of the tower into the city’s main water lines (2), then from there each premises is connected to the main water line, also known as a service connection (3).
FIGURE 2:
In this example, a boiler system is shown (5). This boiler system is not operating correctly and is creating a higher pressure than the pressure in the main water line (2). Due to the higher pressure from the boiler system, backpressure may occur and any unprotected cross-connections on your premises can cause backflow & contamination within the city’s drinking water.
