Cross-Connection Control Program

You may have received letters from the Company with regard to backflow prevention device testing for your irrigation system. The Company is currently actively implementing our cross-connection control program. These actions are in response to the Washington Department of Health (DOH) regulations requiring public water systems to develop and implement a cross-connection control program to protect the public water system’s distribution system from possible contamination that might occur within any given property.

The program seeks to reduce the risk of possible backflow, whether back siphonage or back pressure, into the water system due to water system pressure loss or the presence of a greater pressure on the customer side of the water meter. These risks are reduced by the installation and yearly testing of DOH approved backflow prevention devices that use a combination of multiple spring loaded check valves to prevent possible backflow. The Company’s program assesses risks; with prioritization based on the potential health hazard should a backflow occur. The Company is required to annually complete and submit to DOH a lengthy report on the progress and results of the cross-connection control program.