Cross Connection Control

Your home or business has a connection to the public water system not protected by a backflow device.

Water pressure is reduced due to a break in the water main or a fire event using a lot of water suddenly.

The sudden drop in water pressure creates a reverse pressure situation.

Dangerous contaminants from the unprotected cross-connection can now potentially enter the drinking water supply.

These assemblies are installed onto a pipe to only allow water to flow in one direction. Think of it as a one-way gate that allows water from the city's public water supply to flow into your building or home's piping but stops water if it ever tries to flow backwards into the main water supply. These devices are required in any location where contamination could occur. Systems not protected with approved backflow prevention assemblies could endanger the health of a household or an entire neighborhood. 

All commercial, industrial and non-single-family residential customers must install backflow prevention assemblies on their water service lines, fire sprinkler systems, and irrigation systems. In the past few years, commercial, industrial, and non-single-family residential sites in Greeley were surveyed to identify potential cross-connections. Each site's water service system was inspected for potential hazards. 

• A single living unit that is supplied by its own separate service line. An example of this would be a single-family home.
• Multiple living units where each individual living unit is supplied by a separate service line. An example of this would be a row of townhouse units where each unit has its own separate service line.
• Two separate single living units supplied by a common service line. An example would be a duplex that shares a service line between the two units.

The main difference between a single-family-residential connection and a non-single-family-residential connection is the level of risk that the connection presents to the public water systems distribution system.

• Single-family-residential connections pose a relatively low risk to the distribution system based on the volume of water contained in the plumbing system.
• With regards to multi-family service connections, the state requires that any service connection which serves three or more single family dwelling units be evaluated for cross connections. Due to their nature and size, high-risk cross connections such as fire suppression systems, irrigation systems and HVAC are more common and pose a greater risk to the distribution system.

There are types of cross connections at single-family-residential connections that may pose a greater risk than those addressed by local plumbing codes enforced by the local jurisdiction authority.

These include but are not limited to:

• Dedicated irrigation lines from the water main
• Dedicated fire suppression system lines and chemically enhanced fire suppression systems
• Auxiliary water sources (e.g. wells, ponds, lagoons, irrigation ditches), hot tubs or swimming pools piped with permanent plumbing, reclaimed water systems, grey water systems, or onsite water storage tanks with permanent plumbing
• Connections to a home’s potable water supply system from home businesses and hobbies including but not limited to agricultural commerce and hydroponic systems, doctor’s offices, photo laboratories, hide tanning operations, and metal plating operations

There have been several reported backflow contamination events over the years. A few recent examples include a boiler system within an office building failing and contaminating the buildings water supply and another where a raw water irrigation system contaminated a water theme park’s water supply system. In both of these cases the public water supplier’s distribution systems were protected from potential backflow contamination at the service connections via appropriately installed, maintained and tested backflow prevention assemblies.

All commercial, industrial and non-single-family residential customers must have a certified backflow tester conduct an annual inspection of their backflow prevention assembly to ensure it is functioning properly.

A copy of an accredited backflow tester’s report is required to obtain final approval for a sprinkler system permit.

See the list of local certified testers here: Certified Backflow Testers.

• Install backflow prevention assemblies on all irrigation systems, water service lines and fire sprinkler systems.
• If you suspect you may have a cross-connection, contact a qualified plumber familiar with cross-connections, hydraulics, and pollution factors.
• Be observant. Check for potential sources of cross-connections around your home, business, or industrial site.
• Never leave hoses in buckets, pools, or sinks.