Healthy Water | The Community Response
WHY USE VACUUM BREAKERS
Vacuum breakers are simple devices that can help keep a water supply clean and safe.
They stop water from being siphoned backward into a water system’s pressure drop. They can stop cross-connections.
Cross-connections refer to physical connections between clean water and a liquid or gas that could contaminate the water. When cross-connections occur, a public water supply can become unsafe to drink.
When vacuum breakers are placed on garden hoses they help the community have safe drinking water because water can only flow out of the hose. They stop backflow, which happens when contaminated water flows back into the city water supply.
STOPPING CONTAMINATION
The most common source of cross-connection lies in many Lake Jackson backyards.
It is the regular garden hose.
Cross-contamination can occur when a person: forces a garden hose into a clogged gutter, downspout, or sewer pipe to flush out a clog; connects the hose directly to a hose-end sprayer for pesticide or fertilizer treatments; connects the hose to a soap-and-brush attachment to wash a car or lets the end of the hose lie in a puddle or pool of water on the ground.
Connecting a vacuum breaker on every outdoor faucet is a simple action every resident can take to help the city keep Lake Jackson water safe for everyone.