Underground lawn irrigation systems provide a convenient way to insure a beautiful lawn. With proper care, your yard can be the envy of the neighborhood. But to make sure this convenience does not lead to contamination of your drinking water, backflow protection is needed.

The Problem

When your sprinklers turn off and the pop-up heads retract, they become submerged in the water pooled around the heads. At least some of the water remaining in the pipes will drain out at the lowest sprinkler head. This flow of water will cause some of the surface water pooled around the heads to be siphoned into the pipes of the sprinkler system. This surface water has been in direct contact with your lawn- and the fertilizers and pesticides applied to it. This, along with the ever present animal waste, can be carried into the pipes of your sprinkler system. Now these contaminants have a direct path to enter the drinking water supply- this is called a cross connection.

The Kicker

Contaminated water in the pipes of your irrigation system usually isn’t a problem as long as your water system maintains pressure. If the community water system loses pressure, these contaminants can be drawn into the plumbing of your house or into the community water system. A backflow preventer is required to prevent this.

The Regulation

The State of Mississippi, along with 35 other states, has passed laws to protect the public from contamination of water systems through cross connections. Lawn irrigation systems with pop-up sprinkler heads and irrigation systems that inject chemicals into the sprinkler water are considered possible sources of contamination and backflow protection is required.

The Solution

Backflow preventers can be installed to prevent contamination of your drinking water. Check with Corinth Gas & Water Department for assistance in choosing a method of protection. For more information visit the Water Supply Division of the Mississippi State Department of Health web site at www.msdh.state.ms.us.

Sprinklers:

Sewer billing charges are based on customer’s metered water usage each month. This includes water that does not go into the city’s sewer system such as washing vehicles, watering lawns and flowerbeds and filling swimming pools. Customers who have a separate sprinkler meter set for those miscellaneous water usages are billed for metered water usage only. If you are interested in having another meter set for lawn irrigation or swimming pool maintenance call our Customer Service Department at (662) 286-2263 and a representative will be glad to provide you with the necessary information.