As a water supplier, Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC) must provide you, the consumer, with wholesome potable water. Potable means the water is safe for human consumption.
About backflow
The water supply can be contaminated if water is drawn back into the mains from your property, known as backflow. Backflow can be caused by:
- Back siphonage - when the water pressure in the supply is less than the pressure in your piping system. This can happen when a water pipe bursts, water is shut off or a fire hydrant is used
- Back pressure - when the pressure in your piping system is higher than the pressure in the supply. This can happen when header tanks or booster pumps are used on the property.
Council policy on backflow prevention
- That all new non-domestic connections are fitted with an approved backflow prevention device appropriate for the level of risk associated with the potential activities undertaken within the property.
- That all new domestic connections and any new non-domestic connections that are not assigned as a medium or high risk shall have a non-testable manifold check valve installed on the connection.
- That a programme of investigation be progressively undertaken to assess all existing connections and, where required, have the appropriate backflow device installed.
Council assigns one of three levels of risk where supply is contaminated by backflow, to each property in the district:
| High
| Where contamination may result in serious health problems or death
|
| Medium
| Where contamination may result in minor health problems and/or cause aesthetic problems (taste, smell, colour contamination)
|
| Low
| Where contamination may result in minor aesthetic problems (taste, smell, colour contamination)
|
Your responsibilities as a property owner
If you use or connect any piping system in a way that might lead to contamination of the water supply, you must protect the service connection at the point of supply with an RLC-approved backflow prevention device.
The backflow prevention device at the boundary must be tested annually by a registered Independently Qualified Person (IQP). The testing and maintenance of the boundary device are the responsibility of RLC.
All internal backflow devices installed within the property are the responsibility of the property owner.
Dedicated bulk water filling stations
Accessing water networks via fire hydrants for non-firefighting purposes is prohibited under legislation. Fire hydrants pose a high backflow risk.
For contractors needing bulk water, there are dedicated tanker filling stations at these locations in Rotorua.
