Hose hazards!

Is your hose a hazard to your health?

When water flows backward through the water supply system, it is called backflow.  When the water is accidently mixed with hazardous chemicals or bacteria, it could cause serious health hazards.

The danger comes when a hose, any hose, is connected to a harmful substance. If the pressure in a water main drops while the hose is submerged in polluted or contaminated water, then it could be sucked back into your pipes and your drinking water. Water pressure drops can happen when firefighters battle a nearby blaze or when crews work on a main break, along with many other everyday happening.

Some harmful situations to avoid are chemical sprayers used to fertilize your grass or kill weeds. The cleaning solution used to wash your car, while leaving the end of the hose in the bucket. Even something as simple as filling your waterbed when a pressure drop occurs can cause harmful bacteria to be drawn back into your drinking water.

Here are a few helpful hints to keep your water supply safe, along with devises to prevent any
backflow from happening in your home.

        1) Never submerge hoses in buckets, pools, sinks, etc.
        2) Do not use spray attachments on hoses.
        3) Purchase and install backflow prevention devices for all outside faucets.
        4) Check to see if you have any backflow prevention devises installed where the water
            supply enters your home.