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Our Domestic Water SystemCross-Connection ControlThe most serious risk of contaminants - bacteria, chemicals, physical material - entering domestic water systems like ours is a cross connection. This is any potential or actual pathway for non-potable water to enter our domestic lines. The most common cause is loss of pressure in our lines resulting in siphoning water from a garden hose, stock tank or spray tank. The pressure loss could be due to a power outage, a major leak, a system shut-down for repair, or an un-commanded shut down of the well-pump or booster pumps. All these causal events have occurred in the last year resulting in adverse coliform bacteria tests. An incident last year was the result of leaving an unattended running hose coiled in a stock tank to avoid freezing. There was a pressure loss due to a power outage and a slug of stock tank water was sucked into our mainline. We were lucky that no-one got sick, or worse. Next time could be catastrophic. If we have one more bad water sample we will be required to use full-time chlorination resulting in sharply higher water fees to owners. We would have to test chlorine levels daily. Irrigating With Domestic WaterHomeowners may not use domestic water for irrigation purposes as long as irrigation water is available. Connecting domestic water to irrigation systems creates a dangerous cross connection and is absolutely forbidden. Here's why: Our irrigation system is pressurized to about 50 psi; our domestic system pressure is about 65 psi. The 15 psi difference is enough to keep irrigation water from entering the domestic system. But, if there is a pressure drop in the domestic system for whatever reason, irrigation water would flow into the domestic lines and people would be drinking Okanogan River water! Do's and Don'ts(This includes pet water bowls.) (pesticides, herbicides, antifreeze, cleaning fluids, stock tank water, irrigation water, etc.) (Think: burst hose or leak) For
further information contact: Stu Skidmore, President; Mike Stenberg, Vice President; |