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Backflow Prevention
Providing safe drinking water is the highest priority for the City of Richfield. Richfield Utilities follows strict standards to ensure that the public drinking water supply remains safe. As a customer, you also have a responsibility to help keep the public water supply safe. Proper backflow prevention on cross connections can eliminate contaminants from entering our public water supply. Remember you are drinking the same water as your neighbor – we are all connected! Help keep your family and our community safe.
Effective January 23, 2016, the Minnesota Plumbing Code was amended to include new devices that may be found in residential homes. As a property owner in Richfield, it is required for you to check to see if you have one or more of these plumbing backflow devices on your property. If you do have one of these devices, you will need to have the device inspected annually by a certified ASSE Backflow inspector.
Devices installed prior to January 23, 2016 are not required to be tested, however it is a good idea to have them inspected and tested. Backflow devices prevent contaminated water from entering the plumbing system in your home. These contaminants can come from your irrigation system, boiler system, or any other process where water contacts a non-potable (not drinkable) source.
Backflow devices in Residential homes are typically found in lawn irrigation systems and water supply lines for steam or hot water boilers. These devices are required to be tested every 12 months and the results are to be submitted to the City. The City has teamed with the Safe Water Commission to track and keep records of devices and test reports.
Devices that are required to be tested annually.
Example of lawn irrigation backflow device.
Backflow Device Registration
The City of Richfield has retained Safe Water Commission to serve as the City’s program administrator for backflow device registration and certification. Please see the link below for Safe Water Commission for the requisite submittals.
Useful links: