Fat, oil, and grease in sewer pipes, referred to as FOG, create pollution problems in many communities. FOG enters sewer pipes through restaurant, residential, and commercial sink drains. Once in the sewer, FOG sticks to the pipe and thickens. FOG can build up and eventually block the entire pipe. Blockages in sewer pipes can send sewage backward – out of manholes into streets and rivers, or up floor drains in homes. These sewage overflows pollute the environment.
For Residential Customers: In most cases, the water meter is located at the front of the property near the street under ground.
For Commercial Customers: In most cases, the water meter is located at the front of the property, or could be located in the back or side of property under ground. In some cases depending on the size of the commercial property, the meter will be locked under ground in a large vault. In these cases, do not attempt to obtain a reading. Please contact NCWSA (770-385-3940) to obtain a reading of the meter.
When looking at the water meter, locate the BLACK numbers on the LEFT side of the meter dial with the WHITE background. These numbers count the number of gallons of water that have passed through your meter.
Use the following example to help read your meter:
For more information on how to protect the water on your property, please call Bryan Bloodworth NCWSA Backflow Prevention at 770-385-3930.
Certified backflow testers may request to be added to the NCWSA approved backflow tester list by registering on the AquaResource site at www.backflow.tecnxs.com.
Congress established the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974 to protect human health from contaminants in drinking water and to prevent contamination of existing groundwater supplies. This act and its amendments (1986 and 1996) require many actions to protect drinking water and its sources. One of these actions is the installation and maintenance of an approved backflow prevention assembly at the water service connection whenever a potential hazard is determined to exist in the customer’s system. Without proper protection devices, cross connections can occur.
Any connection which permits non potable water to enter a water distribution system. When this occurs, your drinking water can become contaminated.
Backflow is when the water in your pipes (the pipes after the water meter) goes backward (the opposite direction from its normal flow). There are two situations that can cause the water to go backward (backflow):
To protect the water system, two kinds of backflow prevention methods (ways to prevent the backflow of water) are required for all business customers that present a potential hazard to the water system:
ANY possibility of pollutants, contaminants, and system or plumbing hazards. For example: fire protection systems, irrigation systems, gasoline refineries and stations, restaurants, hospitals, and manufacturers. Just to name a few.
To keep your drinking water safe, the Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority diligently checks the plans of each new business for compliance with cross connection/backflow requirements. We take pride in the water we provide and will continue to protect it and our citizens. All residential meters come installed with a AWWA approved backflow prevention device.
Now that you have some background, you may ask…What’s the big deal? Well, the big deal is that backflows due to cross connections can cause sickness and death. Even in your own home, you can unwittingly create a cross connection:
Over half of the nation’s cross connections involve unprotected garden hoses. In Kansas, a man died from drinking out of his garden hose. He had been spraying the yard with poison to get rid of bugs and had connected his garden hose to the spraying device. Unknown to him, during the spraying, a drop in pressure occurred in the main water system causing the poisoned water to backflow into the hose. Enough to kill him when he took a drink from the garden hose after spraying. He had contaminated his own water system.
The Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority protects the water entering your system. However, it is your responsibility to protect the water on your property or in your home.
To quickly respond to customers’ concerns, NCWSA suggests the following guidance.
Has a recent repair been made? Dirt may have entered the line.
Flush cold water in the tub until the water clears up, usually 10 minutes or so.
If problem persists, there could be corrosion or rust in the customer’s pipes or hot water heater.
Consider draining hot water heater per manufacturer’s recommendations and/or replace anode rod.
Have system checked by a plumber.
Corroded anodes in hot water heater can break loose and show up as particles at the faucet.
Cloudy or milky colored water means air bubbles are in the lines and the water.
Do nothing, bubbles will dissipate on their own or flush cold water in the tub for 10 minutes.
If you believe your water bill is too high, you may have a leak.
Our water rates are very competitive, if not lower, than most water agencies in our region.
Dripping faucets will cause an increase in your bill.
With all fixtures and faucets off, check the water meter and see if it is spinning or indicating a leak.
A running toilet is hard to hear. A toilet flapper that hangs when flushed will fill the bowl indefinitely until someone jiggles the handle.
A corroded float valve in the toilet tank will leak water into the bowl, causing water to exit through the drain. To test, pick up toilet tablets from NCWSA or use food coloring. Drop either into the tank and let sit without flushing for 2 – 3 hours. After time, if the water in the bowl shows color, then your toilet is leaking. Call the plumber or purchase a toilet replacement kit to repair the float valve.
Also, have you noticed standing water in the yard, basement/crawlspace, or right next to the foundation of the house? There could be a broken pipe that’s leaking somewhere in the walls, under the house, or in the foundation. You need to call the plumber.
Is your water pressure too high or low?
The pressure reducing valve (PRV) may be dirty or wearing out. Wear and tear over time will cause the PRV to lose effectiveness, and pressure may increase or decrease. A plumber can replace or repair it. (The PRV is in the yard near the meter box or just inside the basement or crawl space, perhaps near the hot water heater. Most building codes require a PRV to be installed when the pipes were initially installed.)
There could be a leak in the pipes. Have you noticed standing water in the yard, basement/crawlspace, or right next to the foundation of the house? Has the usage increased in the last month? There could be a broken pipe that’s leaking somewhere in the walls, under the house, or in the foundation. A plumber would be needed.
If the washing machine is not cleaning clothes, water is making clothes dingy, the dishwasher smells, or dishes are not getting clean, a pump may be malfunctioning in the appliance. Consult the owner’s manual or call a repairman.
Do your shower heads or faucets have a black substance growing on them?
Our chlorine levels are established and maintained at sufficient levels inside our water pipes to prevent algae or bacteria from surviving. Regular cleaning should prevent stagnant water from allowing bacteria to grow on surfaces. Remove the shower head and soak in a bleach solution (4:1 water to bleach) to kill bacteria or algae.
Is your toilet or tub showing black, pink, or blue rings in the bowl or on the surface?
Bacteria or particles from the air will adhere to water that sits on surfaces and can cause discoloration. Bacteria can form rings in the toilet as it grows on the invisible layer of slime inside the bowl.
Make sure to clean surfaces regularly and dry up standing water.
A stationary toilet bowl cleaner (Ty-D-Bol, etc.) will resist bacteria from growing in the toilet bowl.
Does your water smell or taste like chlorine?
This typically happens when it’s very hot outside. The chlorine in the water can dissipate quicker and can produce a strong chlorine smell. Yes, too little chlorine reserve in the lines will cause odors. Flush cold water in the tub, pulling fresh water into the plumbing until the smell is gone, usually 10 minutes or so.
Does your water smell or taste like mold or rotten leaves?
Seasonal changes (spring or winter) at the water supply reservoir can cause some taste and odor issues. We can report your address to the Water Treatment Plant for them to take a deeper look.
Corrosion or rust in older pipes can cause a bad taste.
If the smell is from the hot water only, bacteria could be growing in the hot water tank due to the tank not having been used or the temperature is set too low. Turn up the temperature or consult with a plumber.
Sometimes odor can rise through drainpipes from your septic system or the public sewer if the water is only sporadically used in a sink, tub, or shower.
Run water to fill all drains so the drain trap is sealed from gas re-entering the residence.
Similarly, odors can rise from drainpipes if there is a partial blockage or buildup in the drains. Spoon baking soda into the drains and follow up with white vinegar and water to kills sources of odors and clean the sides of the pipes. One can also use a plumber’s snake to breakup and clean odor causing debris and buildup from the drains.