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Central Coast Council maintains a Backflow Prevention Policy to ensure property owners who require a backflow prevention device are aware of their responsibilities to install and maintain effective backflow prevention on their property.

The Backflow Prevention Policy applies to properties that have been identified by a plumber as having a medium to high hazard of backflow contamination of the drinking water system.

The Policy was reviewed in 2024 and is now on public exhibition for customer awareness and feedback.

Backflow is water that is drawn back into Council’s water distribution mains after it has already entered the plumbing of a property.

  • Backflow can occur when:
    • there is a sudden drop in water pressure in Council’s water main following a break,
    • if a property owner uses a pump to increase the pressure of water on the property.
  • Backflow can contaminate the drinking water supply of the community if:
    • a property has faulty internal plumbing,
    • cross-connection with wastewater pipes, or
    • from water syphoned from hoses left in buckets, tanks, or pools.

A backflow prevention device is an item of plumbing infrastructure that prevents the direct flow of water from a property back into Council’s water infrastructure.

Backflow prevention devices broadly take the form of:

  • An air gap,
  • A break tank, or
  • A one-way valve that shuts when flow occurs in the wrong direction.

A licenced plumber with backflow accreditation must be used to assess the backflow hazard both within the property and from the property to the drinking water system and advise on the backflow prevention device that must be installed.

A backflow prevention device is required for properties that have been identified by a plumber as having a medium to high hazard of backflow contamination of the drinking water system.

A backflow prevention device is not required for 20 mm and 25 mm water service connections providing drinking water to a single, low hazard residential dwelling.

For properties where the device is required, the owner must ensure that:

  • Backflow hazards from the property have been assessed by a licenced plumber with backflow accreditation.
  • The correct backflow prevention devices have been installed by a licenced plumber and are properly maintained.
  • Details of each backflow containment prevention device are registered with Council
  • Each backflow containment prevention device is tested annually by a licenced plumber with backflow accreditation, and test reports submitted to Council within two days.

What are the proposed changes?

Changes to the Policy are minor, and include:

  • The name of the Policy has been amended to Backflow Prevention Policy, removing the word ‘Containment’ from the title to provide greater clarity to the customer on the scope of the Policy.
  • Section 5. Condition of Installation (pages 4 and 5) – Clarification of the requirement for property owners to maintain and install all backflow prevention devices in accordance with the relevant Code and Australian Standard.
  • Section 6. Responsibilities (pages 5, 6 and 7) – Addition of information to align with updated Central Coast Council Policy Template.
  • Section 7. Policy Definitions (Pages 7 and 8) – Modification to delineate between drinkable and non-drinkable water sources.

The proposed amendments clearly articulate to property owners their responsibilities for installing and managing devices, registering containment backflow devices with Council, and submitting containment backflow device test results annually to Council.

Clarifying Council's position for maintaining Backflow Prevention Devices will also support Council staff when investigating backflow prevention matters and communicating compliance standards and enforcement to the public.

Bright red plumbing device
Small plumbing device
Blue plumbing device

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