Protect your drinking water supply. Certified backflow testing and device installation across Auckland.
Backflow prevention is a critical part of protecting Auckland's drinking water supply. If contaminated water flows backwards into the mains supply -- through a drop in pressure, a burst main, or a cross-connection -- the consequences can be serious. Water and Gas Worx provides backflow prevention device installation, testing, and certification for residential and commercial properties across Auckland.
Backflow occurs when water flows in the opposite direction to its intended path through the plumbing system. This can happen due to back-pressure (when downstream pressure exceeds supply pressure, forcing water backwards) or back-siphonage (when a sudden drop in mains pressure creates a vacuum that pulls water backwards through the system).
Without a backflow prevention device, contaminated water from irrigation systems, swimming pools, chemical storage, or industrial processes can be drawn back into the clean water supply -- potentially affecting your household and your neighbours.
Backflow contamination can introduce chemicals, fertilisers, pesticides, bacteria, and other hazardous substances into the drinking water supply. A single backflow event can affect an entire street or neighbourhood. This is not a theoretical risk -- backflow incidents have occurred across New Zealand and can cause serious illness.
Under the Building Act 2004 and New Zealand plumbing and drainage regulations, property owners are responsible for preventing backflow from their property into the public water supply. Auckland Council and Watercare Services enforce these requirements, and non-compliance can result in your water supply being restricted or disconnected.
While all properties benefit from basic backflow protection, certain situations require specific devices and annual testing:
Watercare Services, as Auckland's water supply authority, requires that backflow prevention devices are installed wherever there is a risk of contamination to the public water supply. Property owners in Auckland must ensure that:
Watercare maintains a register of properties requiring backflow prevention and may contact you directly if your property is due for testing or has been identified as needing a device installed.
RPZ valves and double check valve assemblies must be tested every 12 months by an Independently Qualified Person (IQP) registered with Auckland Council. Testing involves checking each component of the device using calibrated test equipment to confirm the valve is operating within specification and providing the required level of protection.
We carry out backflow testing across Auckland -- from commercial sites in the CBD, East Tamaki, and Penrose to residential properties in Henderson, Pakuranga, Albany, and Manukau -- and provide the required test reports for your records and council compliance. If a device fails testing, we can repair or replace it on the spot in most cases.