National Backflow Prevention Day is observed on August 16 every year. The purpose of the holiday is to recognize and honor backflow preventers, the professionals who ensure our available water supply is free of toxins, waste, harmful chemicals, and other contaminants. The holiday also aims to spread awareness about the importance of backflow prevention and how the technology is used. The day was first observed on August 16, 2021, to commemorate the tragic backflow incident on the same day in 1933 at the Chicago World Fair.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL BACKFLOW PREVENTION DAY
‘Backflow’ refers to an unwanted water flow in the reverse direction. It is caused by cross-connections that may allow contaminants to flow into the drinking water supply. Backflow poses serious health risks associated with the contamination of potable water. Countries around the world, thus, have safety standards in place to avoid backflow. Devices known as ‘backflow preventers’ are used to prevent contamination. Professionals, like plumbers, ensure the prevention of backflow to the maximum extent possible.
National Backflow Prevention Day was first announced in March 2021 by Watts Water Technologies to appreciate backflow prevention and cross-connections control. August 16, 2021, saw the first National Backflow Prevention Day and celebrated the “unsung heroes,” as they put it, who ensure the prevention of backflow through backflow prevention technologies.
Watts Water Technologies specifically chose the holiday date to mark one of the most tragic backflow incidents in the U.S. nearly a century ago. The 1933 Chicago World Fair brought thousands of people to visit the city. Several of them decided to stay in two popular hotels that shared a rooftop water source. This cross-connection, unfortunately, led to dysentery contamination in the water supply of the hotels. This contamination led to over 2,000 individuals falling ill and about 98 passing away.
