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Rainbow approves testing contract with Palomar Backflow

The Rainbow Municipal Water District approved a contract with Palomar Backflow to test Rainbow's backflow devices.

Helene Brazier could not participate in the Oct. 27 board meeting, but the other four board members all voted to approve the professional services agreement with Palomar Backflow. The Escondido company will be paid $75 per backflow tested, and the board approval has a total contract limit of $140,000.

"A lot of our staff is busy with our meter exchange program, so we just need a little extra help to make sure we complete our backflow testing on time," said Rainbow general manager Tom Kennedy.

Water agencies have a cross-connection control program which protects the agency's water supply from contamination. A backflow prevention device is installed at any connection where a hazard or potential hazard is identified.

The state regulations governing the installation of backflows also require the adoption of operating rules or ordinances to implement the cross-connection program, conducting surveys to identify sites where cross-connections are likely to occur, providing at least one person trained in cross-connection control to implement the cross-connection program, maintaining records of locations and tests, and the establishment of a procedure or system to test backflow prevention devices.

"We have to test every year," Kennedy said.

Rainbow has more than 5,000 backflow devices. In 2018, Rainbow changed its testing from using backflow testing companies to using a district water quality technician since the cost to pay outside testers exceeded the cost of creating a full-time employee position. Due to unforeseen incidents, Rainbow was only able to test 3,265 of the 5,006 backflows last year.

The duties of the cross-connection technician also include surveying residences where a backflow preventer is not necessary and providing the homeowner the option of removing the backflow.

As part of the program to upgrade the water meters in the district the technician is conducting surveys when buried double-check valves are found, and that time commitment has hindered his ability to test backflows.

As of Oct. 27 Rainbow had tested 3,350 backflows, and the district must test the remaining one-third of the backflows by the end of the year.

The on-call testing will allow Palomar Backflow to take over from Rainbow staff when the district's in-house capabilities cannot meet the monthly goals.

Rainbow staff issued a request for proposals, Sept. 3. Palomar Backflow has been testing Rainbow meters since 2004 and has knowledge of backflows which may be difficult to locate. The $140,000 authorization will allow for the testing of 1,866 backflows.

In addition to testing the backflow devices, Palomar Backflow will document test results on the district's mobile computer devices, upload the test results daily, install stickers on the backflows with the date of the test, and report any failed tests or required repairs.

Each of Rainbow's meter readers is working on obtaining their backflow testing certification so that they can test backflows when they arrive on a service call. Although not all meter readers currently have backflow testing certification, Rainbow expects all of the meter readers to be certified at the conclusion of the meter upgrade program.

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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