Contaminant or Pollutant?
First we have two classifications of a non potable substance, “health hazard or non-health hazard”.
A non potable water source such as a liquid or gas when diluted, dissolved, suspended or mixed with water adversely affects the quality of the water.
Contamination is defined as the impairment of the quality of water to a degree that human consumption cold result in poisoning or the spread of a disease. This is a high health hazard that can affect human health and safety. An example of a contaminant would be insecticides and chemicals.
Pollutant is defined as the presence any foreign substance (organic, inorganic, radiological, or biological) in water that tends to degrade the quality of such water so as to constitutes a hazard or adversely affects the usefulness of the water. This is a low health hazard since is does not affect the public health. Sulfur in low levels will create that rotted egg smell but can also be a contaminant in high levels. Sulfur in high levels is toxic.
Source: The Cross-Connection Control Backflow Prevention Sub-Committee of the NC AWWA / WEA School Committee Revised: Feb. 24 2003. Backflow Prevention and Practice Study Guide
DATE OF BACKFLOW INCIDENT: ?
LOCATION OF BACKFLOW INCIDENT: ?
SOURCE(S) OF INFORMATION:
– U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cross-Connection Control Manual, 1989
CASE HISTORY
The chief plumbing inspector in a large southern city received a telephone call advising that blood was coming from drinking fountains at a mortuary (i.e., a funeral home). Plumbing and health inspectors went to the scene and found evidence that blood had been circulating in the potable water system within the funeral home. They immediately ordered the funeral home cut off from the public water system at the meter. City water and plumbing officials did not think that the water contamination problem had spread beyond the funeral home, but they sent inspectors into the neighborhood to check for possible contamination. Investigation revealed that blood had backflowed through a hydraulic aspirator into the potable water system at the funeral home.
The funeral home had been using a hydraulic aspirator to drain fluids from bodies as part of the embalming process. The aspirator was directly connected to a faucet at a sink in the embalming room. Water flow through the aspirator created suction used to draw body fluids through a needle and hose attached to the aspirator. When funeral home personnel used the aspirator during a period of low water pressure, the potable water system at the funeral home >became contaminated. Instead of body fluids flowing into the wastewater system, they were drawn in the opposite direction–into the potable water system.
http://www.treeo.ufl.edu/backflow/epa-resources/backflow-case-histories/#t
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