Public Water Systems Are Protected With Cross Connection Control Systems

Concerns regarding water supply contamination have been around for centuries. As plumbing technology was developed, the hope was that tainted water supplies would become a thing of the past. Unfortunately, new problems surfaced with advancing technologies. Without having an open supply for contamination, problems shifted to back pressure in the supply system, allowing unsafe water to filter back into the clean water. To address this problem, cross connection control was developed to put parts in place that would prevent the back pressure and infiltration of the clean water. There are several systems designed based on the various types of problems that occur.

If you think of siphoning water from one jug to another, you may understand how water pressure causes the forward movement or flow from one system to another. When the original pressure drops, such as in a pipe breakage, the water that is farther down the line can suddenly turn around and head back towards the break. Contaminants can be introduced into the system if the water system reverses flow. To keep this from happening, cross connection control systems are used. This protects a larger portion of the water by only allowing a section to be affected.

There are several designs of cross connection control devices. The over the rim inlet is a direct type, which provides a tank of sorts, where the inlet is fed into the water tank. This then protects any water that is in the inlet pipe from being affected should the tank overflow or become tainted. The separation is such that there is no way for the tank water to flow back into the system. Other systems are protected with devices that recognize the reverse flow of water or pressure drop and have watertight seals that automatically close.

Potential cross connection control contamination problems will never completely disappear. However, the cross connection control systems provide a safety feature that automatically closes, seals, or separates the inflowing system. When the water flow is not functioning as it should, the system protects the incoming clean supply from anything that has passed through.

Tags: backflow, cross connection control, plumbing, water protection, water supply