The City and County of San Francisco has a cross-connection control program to protect the city’s drinking water distribution system from contamination caused by backflow. Under normal conditions, water from the distribution system flows into a consumer’s premises. When backflow occurs, water from the consumer’s premises flows into the distribution system. If that water is contaminated because of activities on the consumer’s premises (for example, addition of rust-inhibiting chemicals to a boiler or use of photo-processing chemicals), the water can carry contaminants into the distribution system, possibly causing illness or even death.
The city’s cross-connection control program is a joint effort by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Building Inspection, and the Department of Public Health. The program is administered by the Water Quality Division.
Consumers
For additional information about backflow prevention and where to find a backflow assembly tester, see the links below.
Backflow Assembly Testers
For information about cross-connection control requirements in San Francisco and the form to use for new installations, see the links below.
For additional information, contact the cross-connection control program:
SFWPS Water Quality Division
Cross-Connection Control Program
P.O. Box 730
Millbrae, CA 94030-0730
(650) 652-3199