Union County, NC - Water
Home MenuCross Connection Control Program
Union County Water is committed to providing our customers with safe, quality drinking water. As part of this effort, Union County has enacted an ordinance and established a Cross Connection Control Program aimed at protecting our public water system. This program complies with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the North Carolina Drinking Water Act, North Carolina State Building Code, and 15A NCAC 1 SC.0406.
A cross connection is any actual or potential connection between the public water supply and a source of contamination or pollution. Contamination can result when backflow events take place, allowing contaminants to reverse flow from the fixture/equipment or source back into the drinking water piping.
Union County's Cross Connection Ordinance requires all commercial, industrial, and residential customers connected to the County's water system with an irrigation meter (or irrigation system that uses their single residential meter) to install and maintain a backflow prevention device. These devices help protect the public water supply from contamination, if backflow occurs.
Backflow occurs when the normal water flow in a system is reversed by back pressure or back-siphonage. Without a functioning backflow preventer, cross connections such as sewer waste lines, private wells, irrigation systems and fire department connections can cause death or illness if bacterial or toxic substances enter the County’s water supply.
Customers are responsible for the cost, installation, maintenance and testing of their backflow prevention device. Backflow prevention devices can be purchased from local home improvement, plumbing supply, and hardware stores.