Approved Backflow Prevention Devices: Fact Sheet

Section

Purpose

The purpose of this Fact Sheet is to provide a list of approved backflow prevention devices/assemblies for containing potential contamination as required by Section 5-1.31 of the State Sanitary Code.

Policy

The New York State Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Water Supply Protection, will only accept those backflow prevention devices/assemblies which appear on the current edition of the List of Approved Backflow Prevention Assemblies generated by the University of Southern California Foundation for Cross- Connection Control and Hydraulic Research (FCCCHR). Please note that along with double check, double check detector, reduced pressure and reduced pressure detector assemblies, the FCCCHR list includes atmospheric and pressure vacuum breakers which do not satisfy Section 5-1.31 of the State Sanitary Code.

The FCCCHR list is available for free on-line at http://fccchr.usc.edu/list.html.

Individuals with questions regarding the approval status of a device/assembly can contact their local County Health Department, DOH District Office or the DOH Central Office (518-402-7650).

Devices/assemblies which are out of production, or have only spare parts available, may not appear on the FCCCHR list. If such devices/assemblies are currently installed, they may remain in service provided that they are appropriate for the degree of hazard. When these assemblies demonstrate repeated test failures, require frequent maintenance or if spare parts cannot be readily obtained, they must be replaced by a currently approved device/assembly.