External – to protect the water from cross connection with the water on the customer’s premises.To protect the water system, two kinds of backflow prevention methods (ways to prevent the backflow of water) are required for all business customers that present a potential hazard to the water system: Backsiphonage – a negative pressure in one of the pipes.Backpressure – the pressure in your pipes is greater than the pressure coming in.There are two situations that can cause the water to go backward (backflow): When this occurs, your drinking water can become contaminated.īackflow is when the water in your pipes (the pipes after the water meter) goes backward (the opposite direction from its normal flow). Without proper protection devices, cross connections can occur.Īny connection which permits non potable water to enter a water distribution system. One of these actions is the installation and maintenance of an approved backflow prevention assembly at the water service connection whenever a potential hazard is determined to exist in the customer’s system. This act and its amendments (19) require many actions to protect drinking water and its sources. Protecting Your Water Against ContaminationĬongress established the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974 to protect human health from contaminants in drinking water and to prevent contamination of existing groundwater supplies. The 3000 figure indicates that 3,000 gallons of water have been used during the time period between the two readings.This is your water usage for that period. Subtract your first reading from the second reading.After a period of time has passed (such as a day or week), read your meter again.Write down the numbers you see on the meter odometer.Select a day to take an initial water meter reading.Use the following example to help read your meter: These numbers count the number of gallons of water that have passed through your meter. When looking at the water meter, locate the BLACK numbers on the LEFT side of the meter dial with the WHITE background.

Please contact NCWSA (77) to obtain a reading of the meter. In these cases, do not attempt to obtain a reading. In some cases depending on the size of the commercial property, the meter will be locked under ground in a large vault. For Commercial Customers: In most cases, the water meter is located at the front of the property, or could be located in the back or side of property under ground.For Residential Customers: In most cases, the water meter is located at the front of the property near the street under ground.Leaks can waste thousands of gallons of water in a just a few days. If all of your water sources are off and the Leak Indicator is rotating, you may have a leak. Find the red Leak Indicator on the meter dial.Carefully remove the cover and lift the top of the meter. Make sure no water is being used inside or outside (no washing machine filling, no shower running, no watering outdoors, etc.).

Use your water meter to determine if you have a leak: Inexpensive toilet leak kits are available at home improvement stores.ĭon’t forget to use your water meter to detect leaks.

float device set too high, which causes water to run into the overflow tube.

The most common causes of a leaking toilet are: Do-it-yourself books with easy to follow instructions are available at libraries and home improvement stores.Ĭheck toilets for leaks often. Watch your system run at least once per month to spot problems early. Worn washers are most often the cause of dripping faucets.īroken sprinkler heads or damaged underground pipes are common sources of sprinkler system leaks.

A large leak, the kind most often found in toilets, can waste 200 gallons of water or more per day! Check out the following when you suspect a leak:Ĭheck faucets in the bathroom and kitchen periodically. A small leak, about the size of a pin head, dripping at one drop per second can add up to 7 gallons of water a day.

Newton county water and sewer ga