Backflow Testing in Greensboro, NC

What backflow is and why the City tests for it

Backflow happens when water reverses direction and flows from a private system back into the public supply. A drop in street pressure, from a main break or firefighting, can pull water out of an irrigation line, a boiler or a commercial process and into the city main. A backflow preventer is a valve assembly that stops that. Because the devices have springs and seals that wear, they only protect the system if they're tested and maintained.

Greensboro's rules

City of Greensboro Water Resources runs a cross-connection and backflow program. Its requirements:

• Industrial, commercial and irrigation customers must have an approved backflow preventer, installed and maintained at the customer's expense.
• Commercial devices on fire sprinkler systems and domestic connections must be tested every year.
• Residential irrigation devices must be tested at least once every two years.
• All irrigation systems need a reduced pressure zone assembly (RPZ). Non-residential domestic connections also need an RPZ; fire systems are decided case by case.
• Every test, repair and maintenance job must be done by a City-approved certified tester, and results go to the City through its online portal.

Do I need this as a homeowner?

Only if you have an in-ground irrigation system connected to city water, which is the residential case the City's program covers. If you have one, the RPZ is usually the brass assembly near the meter or where the irrigation line leaves the house, often in a box or an insulated cover. A house without irrigation generally isn't part of the testing schedule.

What happens during a test

The tester connects a gauge kit to the device's test ports, briefly shuts the water off, and checks that each check valve holds and the relief valve opens at the right pressure. If it passes, the tester submits the results to the City. If it fails, the device usually needs new internal parts or replacement before it can be retested.

Winter care for irrigation RPZs

An RPZ that sits outdoors can crack in a hard freeze. Shut it off and drain it before winter, or keep it insulated, and have it checked in spring if it looks damaged.

What affects the cost

Cost depends on the size and type of the device, how many devices are on the property, whether repair parts are needed after a failed test, and access to the assembly. Ask whether submitting the results to the City is included.