Backflow Prevention

Fee Schedule (pdf)

State of Ohio Certified Backflow Testers

The water supply to your home is usually under pressure. But in some scenarios, the pressure can drop. These low-pressure situations can cause water to flow backward. This reversal of water flow is known as backflow. A water main break, a water main repair, or water used for firefighting can result in enough lost water pressure to cause backflow.

Backflow can be a health hazard for your family. The water drawn back into your main water supply may be contaminated when backflow occurs. This contaminated water remains in the water lines until it is drained from another fixture in your home. A serious health hazard could result when this contaminated water is used for drinking, cooking, or bathing. To prevent this from occurring, Clermont County Public Health requires annual testing by a certified backflow tester for testable backflow devices.

Certified Backflow Testers

Most plumbing companies have a certified backflow tester on staff. You may also view a list of certified backflow testers on the Ohio Department of Commerce website.

Regulatory Authority for the Backflow Program is granted under chapter 4101:3 of the Ohio Administrative Code.  Please refer to the following sections:

  • General Information on Ohio Plumbing Code: OAC 4101:3-1
  • Inspection and Testing of Backflow Assemblies:  OAC 4101:3-1 section 312.9
  • Connections to Lawn Irrigation Systems:  4101:3-6 section 608.16.5

Soapy water or other cleaning compounds are back-siphoned into your water supply via a faucet or hose submerged in a bucket or laundry basin.
Prevention tip: Install an American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE) 1011-approved vacuum breaker that permits manual draining for freezing conditions.

Fertilizers/Pesticides are back-siphoned into your water supply via a garden hose attached to a fertilizer/pesticide sprayer.
Prevention Tip: Install an ASSE* 1011-approved vacuum breaker.

Chemical/pesticides/animal feces are drawn into your supply from a lawn irrigation system.
Prevention Tip: Contact your Plumbing or irrigation contractor. Lawn irrigation systems require a testable backflow device. This device should be tested annually to ensure reliability.

In the case of irrigation systems, protection against a potential health hazard from contamination of the public water supply is both the consumer’s and the water purveyor’s responsibility, as well as an EPA requirement.

Irrigation systems can contaminate the water supply by reversing water flow.  This process is referred to as backflow. Backflow can occur in two instances: back siphonage and back pressure. Pumps, boosters, and injection equipment can all apply additional pressure into an irrigation system that can cause the direction of water flow to reverse.

How can lawn sprinklers contaminate a home’s water supply? Groundwater contaminated with fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or animal waste can seep into the sprinkler heads recessed into the soil. If the water pressure drops and there is a backflow, those contaminants may enter the water source in a home. A backflow prevention device prevents this contamination.

The EPA and the State of Ohio requires a backflow device to meet an American Society of Sanitary Engineers (A.S.S.E.) standard. These devices must be certified (tested) by a “State of Ohio certified backflow tester” at least annually. The device may also need to be tested to see if it has been repaired, moved, or tampered with.