To protect the Town's water system, the Town of Cary requires all single-family residential irrigation customers to have an approved backflow prevention assembly installed and tested annually. Concerned about customers having to arrange for this testing, the Cary Town Council initiated a new program in 2008 that would give customers the ability to have the Town to manage the annual process. Customers can also "opt out" of the program and directly contact an approved tester. 2008 Backflow Preventer Testing: May 13 to August 8 Beginning March 31, 2008, the Town of Cary will mail a letter describing the backflow prevention assembly testing program to all residential irrigation customers. The letter will provide information about how the program will be administered, what costs will be associated with the program, and options available to the customer.

Town-coordinated testing

All residential irrigation customers due for annual testing are automatically signed up for this new service. Customers who have had their backflow prevention assembly tested since July 1, 2007 will not require testing until spring 2009.

Town of Cary contractors will begin the testing process on May 13, 2008 and anticipate completion by August 8, 2008. To see the progress of the Town's contractor, visit the Cross Connection Control map at Maps Online. The map indicates what areas are currently being worked on, areas complete and areas not yet started.

• Customers who elect to have their system tested by the Town's contractor will pay $55 for the inspection. The fee also includes minor repairs and replacement parts, and will be charged to the customer's utility bill.
• The test process will require a brief 15-minute interruption of water service and utilize less than one gallon of water. Once the backflow prevention test has been completed, the technician will leave a door hanger with your system's test results. It is not required for you to be home during the testing.

Problems with testing

If an assembly is broken, damaged beyond repair, not in place, or inaccessible, a fee of $25 for the service visit will be charged on the customer's next utility bill. The customer will also be responsible for contacting a plumber to repair or reinstall the assembly, paying to have it tested, and must submit the test result to the Town of Cary. The Town's contractor will not be able to perform tests or access the site if the assembly is located inside the crawl space of a building, a storage facility, inside a shed, in a fenced area, or any other closed structure. If your backflow prevention assembly is inaccessible, contact the Town to opt out of this program and contract this service separately.

Opting out of the program

Customers who do not want to participate in the program must inform the Town of their decision to opt out by May 6, 2008.

• By phone: Call (919) 469-4090 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to speak to a customer service representative.
• Via e-mail: Send opt-out requests to residentialcrossconnectionprogram@townofcary.org. A return response will be e-mailed notifying customers that the Town has successfully received the request.

Discontinuing irrigation service

Anyone who desires to discontinue their irrigation service and avoid all irrigation related charges should contact the Town's Finance Department at (919) 469-4380 to have their irrigation meter removed.

• Customers who discontinue their service will not be allowed to run their irrigation systems.
• To restore service, a new meter must be reinstalled to use the system. Presently, the cost to install a ¾ inch connection irrigation meter is $50.

Contact

For more information on back flow valves and the Town's cross connection control program, call the Public Works and Utilities Department at (919) 469-4090.