The Kinneloa Irrigation District (KID) is committed to delivering safe, clean, and reliable drinking water to all customers. As part of this commitment, we operate a Cross-Connection Control Program to safeguard our water supply from potential contamination or pollution. Cross-connections—any physical connection between potable water and a possible source of contamination—pose serious health risks, particularly when backflow or backsiphonage occurs. These events can cause unsafe water to flow in the wrong direction, back into the public water system, especially during pressure fluctuations such as main breaks or firefighting activities.

To address these risks, our Cross-Connection Control Program includes both system protection and internal protection. System protection ensures that contaminants from customer plumbing systems do not enter the public water system. This is achieved through the installation of approved backflow prevention assemblies at the water meter or service connection. Internal protection is the responsibility of property owners and focuses on protecting the quality of water within private plumbing systems. Both types of protection work together to comply with California Code of Regulations Title 17 and Title 22, and with the standards established by the State Water Resources Control Board’s Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is backflow, and why is it dangerous?

Backflow is the unwanted reversal of water flow in a drinking water system, where non-potable water or other substances are drawn or pushed back into the public water supply. This can pose a serious health risk if contaminants enter the system. Backflow can happen in two ways: backsiphonage and backpressure.

Backsiphonage occurs when there is a sudden drop in pressure in the public water system—such as during a water main break or when firefighters open a hydrant. This drop in pressure can create a vacuum that pulls water from a customer’s plumbing system back into the public supply, potentially carrying contaminants with it.

Backpressure, on the other hand, happens when a customer’s system has higher pressure than the public system. This can occur in facilities with pumps, boilers, elevated tanks, or pressurized systems that force water back into the distribution system if no proper backflow protection is in place.

Both situations can allow hazardous substances—like fertilizers, chemicals, or pathogens—to enter the drinking water supply unless the system is protected with appropriate and tested backflow prevention assemblies.

Things you can do to prevent backflow:

• Be aware of and eliminate cross-connections.
• Maintain air gaps. Do not submerge hoses or place them where they could become submerged.
• Use hose bibb vacuum breakers on fixtures (hose connections in the basement, laundry room and outside).
• Install approved, testable backflow prevention assemblies on lawn irrigation systems.
• Install an approved, testable backflow prevention assembly at your home's water service connection.
• Do not create a connection between an auxiliary water system (well, cistern, body of water) and the water supply plumbing.

KID recognizes five methods of backflow prevention:

KID determines which type of backflow prevention is required based on the degree of hazard that your property presents to the potable water system.

• Air gap
• Double check valve assemply
• Reduced pressure principal assemble
• Pressure vacuum breaker assembly
• Anti-siphon vacuum breaker

What is a backflow prevention assembly?

A backflow prevention assembly is an approved, testable assembly which uses check valves and/or relief valves, in different configurations, to prevent potential contaminants for flowing into the potable (drinking) water system.

An approved backflow prevention assembly has gone through an approval process at the Foundation for Hydraulic Research and Cross-Connection Control at the University of Southern California. This is a two-step process of laboratory tests and a 12-month field test. Only assemblies successfully completing the entire testing procedure are recognized by KID as approved backflow prevention assemblies.

Who is required to install a backflow prevention assembly?

Federal and State law requires that water suppliers protect their water systems from contamination. Any customer whose plumbing system poses a potential hazard to the public water supply may be required to install a backflow prevention assembly. When a determination is made by KID that the potable (drinking) water system may be subject to contamination through a backflow condition, the customer will be notified and required to install an approved backflow prevention assembly. KID makes these decisions based on a case-by-case basis. Residential, commercial and industrial customers demonstrating a high potential for contaminants to enter the potable water system must install and maintain backflow prevention assemblies.

I received a notice for annual testing. What do I need to do?
Customers who receive a notice must have their backflow prevention assembly (BPA) tested by a KID-authorized certified tester no later than the due date listed on the notice. Testing must be performed annually at the customer’s expense. The tester must submit the completed test report to KID directly to kid@kidwater.info. 

How can I find a certified tester?
Only individuals with evidence of current certification from a State Water Board (SWRCB) -recognized organization certifying backflow prevention assembly testers or an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited organization are permitted to test backflow prevention assemblies within KID’s service area. Proof of current certification must be submitted to kid@kidwater.info for approval prior to testing BPAs (backflow prevention assemblies) wihin the District. 

What happens if my device fails its test?
If your backflow prevention assembly fails its annual test, the failed report must be submitted immediately. You are required to have the device repaired or replaced and then retested to confirm compliance within 30 days. Continued failure may result in enforcement actions, including termination of water service, in accordance with state and local regulations.

What should I do if my backflow device is stolen?
Due to the materials used in manufacturing backflow devices—typically brass and copper—they are sometimes targeted for theft. If your device is stolen, report the theft to local law enforcement, then notify KID. You must replace the stolen device promptly and ensure it is properly tested before resuming regular water service. 

Once my backflow assembly has been tested, what’s next?
All test results must be submitted to KID by the certified tester at kid@kidwater.info. Test reports must be accurate, complete, and submitted on time to maintain compliance.

What is KID’s policy on cross-connection control?
Kinneloa Irrigation District follows the Cross-Connection Control standards set forth by the State of California, including Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations and the SWRCB’s Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook. Our program is designed to prevent backflow, protect public health, and ensure compliance through hazard assessment, device tracking, annual testing, enforcement, and education. Additional information can be found in our Cross-Connection Control Program available upon request.