3/31/05

Hot Boxes Now Optional for Single-Family Residential Holly Springs Backflow Prevention Devices

At the March 15 meeting of the Holly Springs Town Council, board members agreed that residents who use backflow prevention devices should not be required to provide protective covers, called hot boxes, for them.

Since the 1990s, the Town's Engineering Design and Construction Standards Manual has required backflow prevention devices to be “installed above ground and protected by an insulated cover.” About 100 local households recently were notified by the town that their backflow prevention devices had been inspected. Those who did not have a hot box were advised they were to install one in order to be in compliance with the town's regulations.

The Town Council, however, has revisited the issue and has instructed staff to make changes in the rules so that hot boxes are optional – not required – for homeowners. They said homeowners should not be required to bear the added expense of providing hot boxes unless it is their choice.

Covers can be expensive, with name-brand covers selling for more than $150. However, even though some covers are expensive and though they are no longer required for residential backflow prevention devices, Town officials still encourage residents to use the protective enclosures.

Residents who have not yet installed hot boxes are no longer required by the town to do so. Town officials stress, however, that only the hot box is optional. Backflow prevention devices are required by law in all cases where a secondary water supply is used.

State and federal regulations to protect the public drinking water supply prompted the Town of Holly Springs last year to create a Cross-Connection Control program to monitor, inspect and enforce regulations for those who use secondary water supplies – such as for irrigation systems, swimming pools and water wells. Each user of a secondary water supply must install a device called a backflow prevention assembly, which prevents water from backing up into and contaminating the town's water supply in its lines.

Backflow prevention device manufacturers recommend using protective covers because they extend the life of the devices and can prevent freezing. However, many homeowners disconnect their backflow prevention devices during the winter months to protect the devices from freezing temperatures. The protective enclosures also prevent other weather damage, such as from falling limbs and ultraviolet radiation, and they discourage vandalism. If a backflow prevention device is damaged, water from the secondary water supply, such as the irrigation supply or swimming pool, can flow into the public drinking water supply in certain circumstances, such as a break in a water main or a firefighting effort that uses a substantial volume of water.

For additional information, contact Wayne Wilhelm, Town of Holly Springs Cross-Connection Control program coordinator, at (919) 557-2932 or wayne.wilhelm@hollyspringsnc.us.

Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us