Backflow Testing in Olney, MD

Local conditions in Olney

Northern Olney borders the Triadelphia and T. Howard Duckett reservoirs on the Patuxent River, which are part of WSSC Water's drinking water supply, so the system that backflow devices protect starts nearby. Core Olney is on WSSC water, and WSSC's Plumbing and Fuel Gas Code sets the yearly testing rule. Only journeyman or master plumbers registered with WSSC who hold cross-connection technician certification may test or repair an assembly.

Two device types come up most. Lawn irrigation assemblies need a yearly test, with the report due around spring start-up. And homes built from 2007 through 2009 with testable dual check valves on their residential fire sprinkler systems have to test or replace them. With a median year built of 1986, plenty of Olney houses also carry sprinkler devices that are decades old.

Some outlying properties sit outside the public sewer envelope, and some rural edges once relied on wells (public water was extended to Mt. Zion to relieve well problems). Check your bill if you are unsure which water service you have.

Which rule fits your house

Signs it is time

• Spring is here and the sprinklers are about to come back on
• Water leaks from the device or the box around it
• The fire sprinkler riser has a tag or letter asking for a test
• You bought a home and the seller had no test records
• Zones lost pressure after a landscaper or a frost

Seasonal notes

Olney sees hard frosts, and an outdoor assembly left full of water can split overnight. Drain the irrigation system in fall, and remove an RPZ to a warm space for the cold months. In spring, open the supply slowly, check for leaks and get the test done before regular watering starts. WSSC's tap water from the Potomac plant averages 140 mg/L hardness and Patuxent water averages 64 mg/L, so scale buildup depends on which plant serves your address, but either can leave deposits on check seats over time.