Why commercial buildings need them
Any connection between drinking water and something that is not drinking water is a cross-connection: a boiler fill line, a chemical dispenser, a lawn irrigation system, a fire sprinkler line, a dental chair, a commercial dishwasher. Should main pressure out on the street fall, during a watermain break or heavy firefighting nearby, water can be pulled backward from the building into the public system. A testable backflow preventer stops that.
- Halton Region operates a program for cross-connection control for industrial, commercial and institutional properties, which includes device testing on a set schedule by a certified tester and submitting the results.
- Check the current terms and deadlines with the Region; we can help you understand which devices you have and what they need.
What we install and repair
Reduced pressure zone assemblies for high-hazard connections, double check valve assemblies for lower hazards, and dual check or atmospheric vacuum breakers on individual fixtures such as hose connections and chemical feeders. We mount them where a tester can reach the test cocks, with drainage below an RP assembly because its relief valve can discharge water. When a device fails its test, we rebuild it with the manufacturer's kit, replacing rubber discs, springs and seats, then have it retested.
When the business should pick up the phone
- A notice from the Region that a test is due or overdue
- An RP valve dribbling or gushing at its relief opening
- A device that failed its last test and was never rebuilt
- New equipment connected to the water supply, like a boiler or a chemical feed
- No one knows where the backflow device is
Talk it through with a plumber
One call to (365) 364-2776 reaches someone who can tell you what the job involves and when a van can be at the door.
How a commercial job runs
- Call with the property address and any letter from the Region.
- We locate each device and record its type, size and condition.
- Faulty devices are rebuilt or replaced, with isolation valves where missing.
- Testing is completed and results are sent in as required.
- We note next year's due date so it does not sneak up.
Before you call
Find the device if you can: usually just past the water meter in a mechanical room, or in a chamber near the property line. Note the brand, size and serial plate, and have last year's test report handy. That lets us bring the right repair kit on the first trip.
Asked on the phone line
Does a house need a testable backflow device?
Most single homes only need simple protection such as hose bib vacuum breakers. Testable devices are mainly for commercial properties and homes with irrigation or other special hazards.
Will the water be off during the work?
Briefly, for a test or rebuild. A bypass or a second device in parallel lets a busy building keep water during service.
How a call to us runs
- You ring (365) 364-2776 and a person picks up, not a menu.
- We ask where the water is, what you have already shut off and what decade the building went up in.
- We say when the van should pull up and what to do until it does.
- On site we show you the fault, give a firm price before starting and clean up after.
Phone booking keeps things quick: no forms, no portals, no follow-up emails trying to sell you a maintenance plan.