The frustrating part of all this is the device currently in use was approved by an Idaho State Plumbing inspector and done under permit back in the day. Thirty four years down the road we find we are no longer in compliance with code and have to install a new device. The cost of this will run about $350-$400 and will have to be inspected annually. So far it is friendly coercion from the people at the water department. We checked with what is going on in Boise and United Water has assumed the role of neighborhood bad-asses with respect to compliance with this new and improved approach to full employment for installers of these devices. United water (Suez) will shut your water off for non-compliance. They are the ones that bring us "Eddy Trout" via the annoying PSA's we all have to suffer through on TV.
Lately, United Water has been blasting the air ways with the back flow check program well under way in Boise.
The only way to escape it is to move out to the country and see if you can tolerate a rural well and a septic tank. We think Caldwell water is some of the best we have ever tasted and will do our part in this effort as soon as our sprinkler guy can get it done.
The device in the photo for this post may or may not be the one you need to install. So don't go out and buy one of these expensive gadgets without knowing what will be accepted by the mavens of this program.
Finally, as much as I hate the intrusion of government upon the sovereign soil of my personal residence we have to respect the notion the water we drink (and take for granted) needs to be adequately protected from harm.
Isn't it amazing the things that our city officials can come up with which cost us money just to justify their existence. I see in Nampa we are going to be charged an extra $4 per month for the privilege of making Republic waste more profitable. If we refuse the new trash cans we will be charged $14 per month extra.I hope people are paying attention and we get some new faces in city government in Nov.
ReplyDeleteThey had better not charge me more money. They'll find their new cart floating in the fricking canal!
DeleteI am all in for keeping water safe from contamination but what are the statistics on failure of existing (and formerly approved) backflow devices? I am pretty attuned to environmental issues when they crop up in the news. I have never heard of a single failure except when there isn't and backflow device of any kind on the system.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is interesting to note the city has backflow prevention devices on your water meter. This caused the need for the Pressure Safety Valve to be installed on your water heater. The water would heat beyond a certain point and the pressure safety valve would lift and bleed off the pressure. The street meter valve prevents water heater pressure from backing up into the city water system.
Can anyone out there explain why this new to me requirement is necessary?
You have to remember that we the taxpayers are just a cash crop to be picked as often as possible.
ReplyDeleteHere's how to make it big in America...get some kind of a goofy code change,be a part of the part you want to be used (an investor with inside connections helps) get the gubment to change the code and then stand back and watch the cash roll in.
ReplyDeleteDon't believe it.. I had to install a carbon monoxide detector in a California condo I own with my two brothers (Dad's estate). The place is 100% electric and there isn't any natural gas fired appliances for miles around the place. Had to put one in the house and one in the garage in order to comply with California Safety Code. Costco and Walmart could not keep these things on the shelves. Meanwhile, in Idaho they could not give them away. I think they were $30 each and multiply that by the number of residences in the Golden State and you will get the picture.
In Nampa you can get your smoke detectors installed for free by a four man crew who will show up in the big red truck.
DeleteI think the way it works is one fierce firefighter on the ladder, two to steady it and turn the ladder and one supervisor who will probably pet the family dog. What a great city
Would you rather have them paid for sitting around the firehouse doing nothing except polishing their shiny trucks?
DeleteAt least this way I get some value for my tax dollars.
I am pretty sure it is the water dept. people pushing this program. That is were I was directed when I asked for more information on this new program.
DeleteThe backflow device I've been looking for without much success, is the one that stops the cashflow out of my pocket to the City of Caldwell. Mallard Park galls me. It appears the city had to annex the land on the extreem edge of the city, so they could spend the money to build a park by the lake. Its nice but I resent paying for this type of arrogance. On first look I could not believe it was even near the city limits.
ReplyDeleteThe price to pay for not having to lug hoses around your yard. Tsk Tsk
ReplyDeletePaul, If you think Caldwell water tastes better than well water, I believe you have lived in the city way to long.
ReplyDeleteAll right you got me. Good well water is hard to beat. That said, at one point in time Caldwell's water was not subjected to chlorination and was really great drinking water. The Feds stepped in and forced the issue and the slogan on the water tower went away. City dwellers can still be thankful for the outstanding quality of our city water.
DeleteYou folks out in the country enjoy your water but have it tested. It may look like water but can contain all manner of nasty things toxic to life and you won't know it. Arsenic is one of the things at the top of the list along with high nitrates that can be fatal to unborn infants.
That's interesting that backflow devices can go out of code over time. Maybe it's valuable to check your setup every once in a while? I can see how safety standards and codes can get more rigorous over time since our technology is constantly improving. http://atlasbackflow.com
ReplyDelete