Lawn Irrigation Systems – High Hazard or Low …

1 A newsletter dedicated to Cross Connection Control and Backflow Prevention March Vol. 28 Issue 3 Lawn Irrigation Systems High Hazard or Low Hazard Cross Connection? Commentary By Fred Baird Bac-Flo Unlimited, Inc. The following is a review of Irrigation Systems , their operation and considerations in the determination of high Hazard (Health Hazard ) cross connection or low Hazard (Non-Health Hazard ) cross connection classification. One of the first things the average person must understand is the fact that water pressure goes from a higher pressure to a lower pressure. Water pressure is not always constant and there are many variables that create these backflow situations. These situations can be very minute such as a pressure fluctuation caused by demand or the complete loss of water pressure due to water main breaks, fires in the area, high demand, piping design, etc. Additionally, pumps and elevations can create back-pressure situations. There have been many cross connection contamination events involving backflow situations.

2 For everyone documented it is estimated that 20,000- 30,000 go undetected due to dilution. In documenting incidents in San Antonio for many years, we never documented an incident involving a residential lawn Irrigation system. We did however, have an industrial site back-pressure almost a million gallons of contaminated water from an Irrigation auxiliary water source into the city supply. The connection between the city supplied Irrigation system and the auxiliary source was created without the water system s knowledge. A Water Quality complaint involving illnesses led to the discovery of this incident. Also, we have been told about residential backflow situations where the potable water was contaminated. Wonder why we never officially documented an incident on any other Irrigation Systems ? Let s review how Irrigation Systems operate. There is a master valve and independent zone controllers. These valves only withstand psi back-pressure. With the loss of water pressure if the backflow preventer is not working as designed, the water in the Irrigation system will be drained back into the potable water system.

3 The Irrigation system does not have to be on for the system to be drained into the drinking water supply. In San Antonio, a licensed irrigator and backflow tester has actually set up a system to demonstrate this at conferences. Backflow Prevention Assemblies Studies have shown through annual testing of backflow prevention assemblies a failure rate of 10-20%. If a backflow preventer is not tested for approximately 10 years the failure rate is in the area of 85%. What does this mean? Loss of water pressure failed backflow preventer and you are drinking water from your Irrigation system! Continued on Page 6 March Meeting Details Meetings of the San Antonio Chapter ABPA are usually held the second Thursday of every month except December. Dinner and refreshments are served at 6:00 sharp with the meeting starting at 6:30. The next meeting is: Date: Thursday, March 8, 2018 Time: 5:00 8:30 Location: SAWS Bldg 2 Conference Room 2800 US Hwy 281 North. Program: To be announced Meal Sponsor: ABPA-SA Chapter No alcoholic beverages allowed by TCEQ Next Meeting: April 12, 2018 Meeting March Agenda 5:00 General discussion and quorum confirmation 5:15 Call Meeting to order.

4 5:16 Secretary s Report. Read and approve the minutes of the previous meeting. 5:20 Treasurer s Report. Discussion and approval of the treasurer s report. 5:25 Supply Officer s Report 5:30 Vice President s, Directors, and any other reports for the good of the chapter. Comments, new business, any discussion. 5:40 Training Report. Training & Meal Sponsors 5:45 Webmaster Report 5:50 President s Report. New & old business 6:00 Meal is served. 6:30 General Membership Meeting 1. Gauges to be tested. Carl Michaud- Bill Hamrick 2. First time attendees or visitors (get w/Jeff Hoffman for membership application / info) 3. Irrigator s Report. Ron Renouf 4. Report from the Directors Meeting. Brad Harrell 5. Election of Officers & Directors in October 6. City, regional, and national reports. James Cantrell and any City personnel present 7. Supply Officer Report. Troy Baird 8. Training program for the evening. 9. Raffle prize announcement.

5 Ongoing Goals of ABPA-SA Chapter 1. Educational Outreach with public by presenting at PHCC meetings, engineering firms, schools, and neighborhood associations. Continuing goal. 2. Greater use of TCEQ website. Tracking of CEUs, Services available. Personal education. 3. Increase member awareness of importance of chapter meetings. Increase attendance and public awareness. 4. Increase website resource information. More detailed links to more information like TCEQ, COSA, and any place that would be helpful to our members Big Thanks to BAVCO for sponsoring the February meal and a $50 Amazongift card for the raffle drawing. BAVCO for the $25 Amazon gift card for a drawing of all attendees who put a business card in the pot. Ron Chapman from BAVCO for providing the training program concerning the use of factory authorized parts during BFPAs repair. 2"Direct Talk" by the President The annual PHCC/ABPA Skeet shoot is coming up on March 8th at the National Shooting Complex.

6 I would like encourage anyone and everyone to attend. This event is a lot of fun to participate in. If for some reason you can t participate then try to make it for the networking aspect. I look forward to seeing y all there on March 8th! Brad Harrell Here is a good website for emergency information: Check it out. Chapter Chatter Plus My Opinions Greg Shean, Secretary This is going to be very interesting Read the TCEQ Input in the minutes. I reviewed both sides of the residential Irrigation To be a health Hazard or not to be a health Hazard in last month s Chatter and at the February meeting. My hope is the TCEQ goes with the facts, not the emotion, and will be independent of other organizations and states that have a follow the herd mentality. The final decision is going to be very interesting. PHCC/ABPA-SA Clay Shoot My wife and I will again provide the reception meal for about 125. We start with 60# of smoked pork shoulder for pulled pork, make two types of BBQ sauce, a roaster each of our meat and beans and pork and beans, coleslaw, and this year, rum cake.

7 This is prepared over the 4 days before the March 8th clay shoot. However, it s between 3 PM and 5 PM on March 8th, so come for the food and beer and you can still make the ABPA-SA Chapter meeting for your CEUs. Meeting Meal for those with CRS disease March 8th Pork Spare Ribs (quantity 2) w/rice, pinto beans, creamy potato salad, tea, and cookies. MINUTES SAN ANTONIO CHAPTER-ABPA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Thursday, February 8, 2018 Brad Harrell, president, presided over and opened the San Antonio Chapter-ABPA Board of Directors meeting starting at 6:32 pm, in the Tower 2 Conference Room at HQ SAWS. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS - PRESENT EXECUTIVE OFFICERS - ABSENT Brad Harrell - President Anthony Romero Vice President Jeff Hoffman Treasurer Greg Shean Secretary Troy Baird Past President OFFICERS SPECIAL TO THE CHAPTER - PRESENT OFFICERS SPECIAL TO THE CHAPTER - ABSENT Carl Michaud Gauge Testing & Certification Jim Cantrell Liaison to SAWS Bill Hamrick - Special Officer to Gauge Testing and Certification Manny Hernandez Public Relations/ Speakers/ Program Topics Troy Baird - Supply Officer 3 Jeff Meeks - Sgt.

8 At Arms Matthew Wilgen Webmaster DIRECTORS AT LARGE - PRESENT DIRECTORS AT LARGE - ABSENT Ron Renouf Fred Baird Robert Stricker Bruce Rathburn Carl Michaud Joe Fazekas Gene Hinojosa Frank Snyder GUESTS PRESENT Kyle Loffler, Miller Mays. Ron Chapman, BAVCO, Michigan. Agenda Item #1. Secretary s Report: The January meeting minutes were in the January newsletter. Robert made a motion to accept the minutes. Passed. INFO. Agenda Item #2. Treasure Report: No report. INFO. Agenda Item #3. Supply Officer Report: Troy has an inventory that will make you look good. Caps are $10, T-shirts are $15, shirts are $25, and jackets are $45. INFO. Agenda Item #4. Meal Sponsor: BAVCO is sponsoring the meal w/saut ed vegetables, side salad, roll, sweet and unsweetened tea, and cookies. INFO. Agenda Item #5. Raffle Sponsor: BAVCO provided a $50 Amazon gift certificate and an additional $25 Amazon gift certificate drawing for those providing a business card. INFO. Agenda Item #6.

9 TCEQ Report: TCEQ conducted an informal stake holder meeting on backflow for Irrigation Systems at the Tesoro building, 8700 Tesoro Drive, on January 16th at 1:30. TCEQ listened to comments about whether Irrigation backflows should be a low Hazard or health Hazard . They made no comments. Greg and Joe gave summary. Only six of about 35 attendees made comments. Three wanted a health Hazard designation because of confirmed health hazards of Irrigation water. Three wanted to keep it as a low Hazard as existing rules could be better enforced since SAWS does not have the employees to expand their backflow program at this time. Bruce added that more than 80,000 assemblies are in the SAWS system that do not receive a notification from SAWS. He also added that per plumbing code, notice or not, they are required to be tested annually. Plumbing code and TCEQ RG 344 requires anyone maintaining Irrigation Systems must ensure there is a current backflow test before performing any type of Irrigation maintenance.

10 Bruce said that SAWS is taking this very seriously, and will follow whatever rulemaking comes down from the state. INFO. Last August John Decel, Chair of the TCEQ Irrigation Advisory Council, said that he made a recommendation that TCEQ review RG 344 Irrigation rules. All comments must be made by February 28th, whether for or against it. Comments can be made on the TCEQ website. John said that he has attended all of the TCEQ presentations to date and 144 attended and 35 made comments. He said that the AWWA and the ABPA considers residential Irrigation a health Hazard because of what can be found in the Irrigation water. Rain and water events accumulate and flow back into the heads if submerged. He asked that, agree or disagree, submit your comments, as we are the subject matter experts. He said that all of 344 Irrigation rules are up for comment. INFO. Agenda Item #7. Irrigation Report: Ron said that Shavano Park is registered with Civil Systems who keeps track of licenses to ensure that you are legal.