Backflow Prevention

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City of Bozeman Cross-Connection Control

The City of Bozeman takes great pride in consistently providing some of the best water available to its customers. In pursuit of this goal, the City works on many levels to maintain water connections and educate plumbers, contractors, and business owners/operators on risks and risk prevention methods of a water system.

The City of Bozeman requires that a backflow preventer be installed on all service connections to our water distribution mains. A backflow preventer is a check-valve that allows water to flow from the communities shared water mains and into a customers’ private plumbing, while preventing the water from flowing in the reverse direction.

Once water enters a customer’s plumbing it often comes into contact with pollutants and contaminants through what is known as a cross-connection. For example; common problematic cross-connections are irrigation systems, chemical dispensers at mop sinks & commercial dish-washers, and manufacturing processes. There are various events that can occur which could result in these pollutants and contaminants flowing back into the plumbing, therefore being introduced to the water, where the results could be either unwanted or even dangerous.

The City of Bozeman has a cross-connection control program that employs industry best practices in many areas, including working with customers to ensure that their backflow preventers are tested regularly.

This website exists to provide tools for our customers and professionals in our community. Please use the links on this page, and if you have any questions, reach out to our cross-connection control department.

Email: backflow@bozeman.net

Phone: 406-582-3221

New Construction Requirements

STATE OF MONTANA REQUIREMENTS

The State of Montana Department of Environment Quality has accepted the standards set forth in the Manual of Cross-Connection Control, 10^th Edition (MCCC). The City of Bozeman administers its cross-connection control program also in accordance with the MCCC. Testers who are approved to test backflow preventers within the City are required to be certified by the American Backflow Prevention Association which also has adopted the procedures outlined in the MCCC.

BACKFLOW VIDEOS PROJECT

EXAMPLES OF BACKFLOW INCIDENTS

Eagle Idaho - At least four people in two different Eagle subdivisions are sick after untreated irrigation water got into their drinking water. United Water says E. coli was found in a small portion of the subdivision's water system. They say an improperly installed back-flow caused irrigation water to get into the system.

Lenexa Kansas - Officials Investigate Carbonated Water Mixing With Copper Pipes

Corpus Christi, Texas – Think Backflow Doesn’t Happen? Just Look at Corpus Christi / Companies to pay $2.6M over water issues

HOW CONTAMINATION OCCURS

hose in a barrel example of contamination

Considerable resources to protect the water from contamination through backsiphonage or backpressure have been expended. Once water passes through the meter and into the customers system, we lose sanitary control and by law cannot let it return to the distribution system. Contamination can occur if a water line is connected to equipment containing a non-potable substance. Such as a water line connected to a tank containing acid or a hose may drop into a bucket of cleaning solution. These conditions, known as Cross-Connections, are defined as any unprotected actual or potential connection between a potable water system and any other source through which it is possible to introduce any substance other than the intended potable water with which the system is supplied. These are dangerous conditions if no protective measures are taken.

PROVEN PREVENTION METHODS

WATER SURVEYS

City staff will be conducting routine and ordinary water surveys to identify your Backflow Preventer and if there are unprotected hazards in your plumbing system. We will make recommendations of things you can do to protect your system from contamination and what you can do to protect the public system. We will also provide assistance in locating a Certified Backflow Preventer Tester so that you can make sure yours is working at its best and protecting yours and our system from contamination. This test should be completed annually. Only American Backflow Prevention Association certified testers who have demonstrated their competency in this field are recognized to test backflow preventers in service in our city. If you have any questions, please feel free to email our Cross-Connection Specialist Tim Tusken at ttusken@bozeman.net or call him at 406-582-3221.

City Of Bozeman

RECOMMENDED SEARCHES:

Backflow Prevention

City of Bozeman Cross-Connection Control

Other Backflow Video Resources

This is a RP Backflow Preventer

Helpful Websites