BACKFLOW TESTING AND RPZ CERTIFICATION
Why RPZs are Essential and Who Needs Them
RPZs are backflow protection devices. They are designed to prevent the city or town water supply line from being contaminated from any individual home that may have contaminated water. The device is made to ensure that water can only flow in one direction and will prevent water from flowing back towards the direction of the city line.
Each device has a redundant design feature that protects the water supply from accidental contamination. Contamination could come from bacteria, sediment, fertilizer or chemicals. The important thing is to prevent the contamination from entering the city’s supply of drinking water.
Without the redundancy built into the RPZ devices, any maintenance issues in one of the pipes or valves could cause significant harm to people and the environment.
Businesses and private residences need their RPZ device to work perfectly. Most RPZ devices are installed inside. Anytime an RPZ is installed in a residential or commercial building, an expansion tank is required by code to be on your water heater.
Backflow testing pros for lawn irrigation systems, restaurant cleaning systems, foot spas and nail salons – Homeowners and businesses that use underground irrigation systems to water their lawns need RPZs. Nail salons and foot spas need RPZ devices. Restaurants that have a three-compartment sink using cleaning solutions need RPZs. Any home, business, or facility with an indoor fire sprinkler system needs an RPZ device. Each of these situations requires annual testing.
Annual RPZ testing and certification in the northwest suburbs – RPZ devices are straightforward devices to test, but complicated devices to repair. Furthermore, they must be tested at the time of installation and each year thereafter. Whether you need your device tested, repaired or replaced, our team at MAS Plumbing can help you.
Under Illinois Protection Agency regulations, 35 Ill. Adm. Code 653.802(e)(1), and the Plumbing Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 890.1130, testing of the backflow assembly must be done at the time of installation and at a minimum once a year thereafter.
Illinois law requires that only licensed plumbing contractors certified in RPZ can test that device or assembly.
MAS Plumbing employs plumbers who are fully certified as Illinois Cross-Connection Control Device Inspectors (CCCDI).
