How to protect your property and tenants from backflow violations

We see it all the time in property management. Preventive maintenance is prioritized — but ensuring that backflow devices are properly in place and tested each year can easily be missed, creating a liability for your property, your tenants and even their customers.

Here’s a recent example of how quickly the situation can go downhill for all the players in commercial property management. Two restaurants, a hair salon and a bar had all leased spaces in the same building; however, when the property manager incurred a backflow violation, the city terminated the services of those five businesses. They’re losing revenue because of the property manager’s negligence, and the property management company must now deal with lawsuits.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. With the right backflow service company to take responsibility for your testing and preventive maintenance, your property is protected from violations and so are the businesses that lease from you and their customers.

Read on for what happens when you’re out of compliance, how a company like High Desert Backflow diagnoses your water quality issues, and what kind of cost savings can proactive maintenance with a backflow service company bring you. 

What happens if you’re out of compliance

The Idaho State Plumbing Code requires that backflow assemblies are tested at a minimum of once a year. If you do have backflow but don’t have it properly maintained, you’re out of compliance and could contaminate the water supply in your community.

The repercussions for being out of compliance are high. 

  • Your water gets shut off.
  • You could be held liable for the negative impacts on the potable water distribution system.
  • Owners can be sued for lost income from their tenants when the business’s water is shut down.
  • You’ll also need some serious damage control in your community to restore your reputation.

How does a backflow service company diagnose water quality issues

This issue is about a lot more than just avoiding fines. We’re talking about the quality of drinking water for public safety.

For example, there was a business in our area exploring a commercial space to rent, and they noticed that the drinking water had an off color and taste. As a result, they pulled their inquiry, because the last thing people want to lose confidence in is good quality water.

And backflow assembly devices are a good way to avoid this scenario. When correctly installed and working properly, this essential device maintains the quality and safety of your water supply by ensuring clean water flows in the intended direction. But to make sure a backflow assembly is functioning properly; you need specialized equipment to simulate hydraulic pressure changes against the assembly’s internal components. That’s how companies like High Desert Backflow keep our community’s water safe.

What kind of cost savings can proactive maintenance bring you

By signing up for ongoing maintenance services, your backflow service company will conduct regularly scheduled onsite inspections. And there are quite a few benefits to this proactive approach:

  • You maintain your property’s compliance
  • You save money when we catch something before it’s an issue.
  • You avoid hefty restoration costs from water damage, mold and leaks.
  • You improve the longevity and efficiency of your equipment for a reduction in overall operating costs.
  • You protect the revenue of the business owners leasing from you.

Ready to protect your property, tenants and customers from backflow issues?

Book a consultation