Opportunity for Advancement

[DUNBAR]

At our Backflow Association in my hometown area, there's an opening for vice president to the Backflow Association Program.


It's a 2 year commitment that gives some inside source knowledge to the association and what not.

I don't know if it pays anything, have no clue.


The meetings, 4 a year including the PHCC convention in February is all part of this.


Get to deal with Conbraco, Midwest, Watts, Febco to name a few in the industry with new products, cross-connection histories and the like.


As I've mentioned, I'm a businessman first but I wanted to see if you all thought it would be a good idea to accept this position or not.


It's open to all for the position. I believe my qualifications are met given I'm a Master Plumber along with being a tester for the past 10 years now.


The meetings unfortunately are lackluster and they consist of a dinner and some small talk, maybe a few guest speakers that make it interesting.


I stand to gain if I take this position; this is a fine compliment to my second business with the credential potential.


The president position would be something I wouldn't be interested in given the fact I'm not testing these units, along with the limited time I've had with repairing/replacing them.

I'll be first to admit that I gained that credential years ago solely for the knowledge base, knowing that it's something I'd like to say is a fine compliment to my profession.


I would truly like to see across the United States the enactment of every journeyman plumber MUST take a course in backflow/cross-connection prevention.


Should I or shouldn't I? It's worth my time in the long run.

I'd like to say that I can sometimes be motivational on these plumbing forums from time to time jogging questions about big picture topics.

I can relay that format in person or in large groupings of people. I don't care if I was speaking to a 1000 people in front of me, I can do it.

It's a calling I haven't followed in life but I would need a coach before going after it in a different concept.

Certainly though, I don't see myself over time going from hotel to hotel getting the masses together to buy my logic, ever.


I just want to be a contributor to the profession of plumbing before I leave this earth, make it better before I die. I feel that we all should contribute more than just actively representing ourselves day to day as professionals.

We have a trade that needs reinforcement that not just everybody can do it and we need to keep in focus of the new generation entering the plumbing profession that there's a certain degree of culpability we must reach to call ourselves tradesmen.

I posted this in the business section as I feel it serves a better purpose for those in the ranks that are positioned for these possibilities.

[Bob D.]

Don't get me started on backflow testing, or the lack of it I should say. And more to the point is the lack of enforcement. No one wants to put additional expense on the businessman or HO so they look the other way and around here BF devices almost never get tested unless it is a new install, then they will have to get them tested by a qualified tester and submit the results, the following year there is no follow-up test and no report submitted, and no one asks why. As a minimum every home that has a testable BF device should have to have it tested as a minimum every time the property changes hands, same as a water test if you have well water. That would be better than nothing. At least going in you would know you have a working BF preventer.


To the point of your thread if you have the time I think there could be some benefit to you there.

[DUNBAR]

I agree to every single word you stated, and from the way it sounds you seem to know the situation very well.

That problem was stated at our meeting last tuesday and no judge will enforce the enforcement.


People take positive flow dynamics for granted, not thinking reversal of flow is possible.


Take a nascar race, watch the cars. They are all going forward but a slower car looks like it's going backwards. That happens in piping systems all the time and that's where danger lurks in worst case scenarios.

[ToUtahNow]

It seems no one takes backflow testing seriously until there is an accident. I am the president of a small water company in Utah and I plan to tell everyone at the Annual User meeting next month I will be shutting/locking meters off for non-compliance from now on.

Mark

[Bob D.]

You want to hear some scary stories related to BF talk to some fire fighters and ask them how many times they have sucked a water main dry on a big fire. The guys around here tell me when you are near the end of a main where its fed from only one direction it is easy to do with todays pumpers.

The perfect condition for negative pressure condition in the mains.

What about underground water leaks? Every one is a active cross-connection because as the pressure drops your sucking in ground water from that leaky sewer line only a few feet away or all the runoff from the road that seeps through the asphalt which is porous unlike concrete.

Mark, do you require a permit be pulled and a RPZ on a temporary water hookups to fire hydrants? Many places do for construction water, carnivals, and other such temporary uses. Something to think about. An RPZ is specd because you don't know for sure what the hazard might be so go with the maximum protection.

[DUNBAR]

Nothing surprises me in the subject of backflow bob. I get to hear all the good stuff every year at the meetings, plus I get this quarterly magazines in regards to the subject matter.


If either of you want me to send you the literature, let me know. I've got years of these publications.



BTW I acted on my thinking about inquiring about the position, it was taken. :(

A sprinklerfitter took the position.