Backflow Testing in Boyds, MD

Is my Boyds home on WSSC water or a private well?

Boyds is a semi-rural corner of upper Montgomery County, and water service changes from one property to the next. Some homes are on WSSC Water and some rely on their own wells. The easiest check is your bill: if you pay WSSC for water, you are a WSSC customer. If you pay no water bill and have a pressure tank in the basement, you are almost certainly on a well. Sewer service varies the same way, so don't assume your neighbor's setup matches yours.

What applies on WSSC water?

For WSSC-served homes, the cross-connection control program asks for a yearly test on every testable backflow assembly, with irrigation pressure vacuum breakers and RPZs the most common residential examples. A test is also needed after the device is installed or repaired. The plumber doing it must be registered with WSSC and hold cross-connection technician certification. Questions about a device on WSSC's records can go to the Montgomery County cross-connection line, 301-206-7932. New or replacement assemblies are permitted through WSSC Water Permit Services, which handles plumbing permits across Montgomery County.

Does a home on a well need backflow protection?

Yes, even without a utility test program. A private well serves only your house, so anything pulled back into the plumbing ends up in your own drinking water. A garden hose left in a bucket of weed killer, a hose-fed animal trough or a sprinkler system without a device can all create that path. A hose bibb vacuum breaker on each outdoor spigot and a proper assembly on irrigation lines are reasonable protection. A plumber can look at how the well, pressure tank and outdoor lines connect and point out any gaps.

Local note

Boyds grew as a railroad and dairy village on the B&O line, and it remains semi-rural around Black Hill Regional Park and Little Seneca Lake. Larger lots mean longer runs to outbuildings, gardens and paddocks, which is where unprotected hose connections tend to hide. If a device or spigot is leaking, close the supply to that line and leave the repair to the plumber.