9 months ago
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Liberty Park residents cite blindsiding backflow valve warning
OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE? WELL, MORE THAN TWO YEARS, ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT IAN. WE SPOKE WITH HIM EARLIER TODAY. HE SAID AFTER OUR ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION AIRED LAST WEEK, HE WANTED US TO KNOW THAT THE HOOVER RESIDENTS WE INTERVIEWED WERE NOT ALONE. IF I DON’T SUBMIT THIS IMMEDIATELY, LAST WEEK WE INTRODUCED YOU TO HOOVER RESIDENTS CLAIMING TO BE BLINDSIDED BY A BACKFLOW REGULATOR REQUIREMENT. GET IT INSPECTED OR LOSE WATER SERVICE. THE PROBLEM? THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A DEVICE. OH YEAH, FLORIDA, IT’S A BIG DEAL HERE, SAID HE WATCHED A REPORT WHICH HIGHLIGHTED A PROBLEM HIS LIBERTY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD IS ALSO FACING. I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE. I MEAN, ENLIGHTEN ME AGAIN ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND MADE ME THINK, WELL, WE’RE NOT IN THIS THING ALONE, HARRIS SAYS. 120 HOMES IN HIS COTSWOLD COMMUNITY NEED A BACKFLOW OF ICE, BUT THEY CLAIM THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTOR OR THE BIRMINGHAM WATERWORKS BOARD SHOULD PAY FOR IT. THE PROBLEM WAS WE HAD THESE HOMES BEING BUILT AS THE AREA’S BEING DEVELOPED, AND THE CONTRACTOR WAS SAYING, YEAH, WE PUT THESE THINGS IN AND THEY SIGNED OFF ON IT AND TURNED IT TO BIRMINGHAM WATERWORKS. AND BY CODE YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT BILL COHEN’S COMPANY SELLS THE VALVES IN QUESTION. HE SAYS THEY’VE BEEN REQUIRED FOR DECADES, AND ALABAMA BEGAN STEPPING UP ITS ENFORCEMENT IN 2006. EVERY STATE WOULDN’T BE ENFORCING THIS IF THIS WASN’T SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED WITH. THAT’S BECAUSE WITHOUT THE REGULATORS, HARMFUL CHEMICALS COULD BE SUCKED BACK INTO THE PUBLIC WATER SOURCE. IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE OF THESE IN YOUR YARD AND YOU HAVE A SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND THERE’S CHEMICALS THAT ARE SOMEHOW SUCKED BACK INTO THE MAIN DRINKING WATER, YOU COULD POISON YOUR NEIGHBORS. THAT’S RIGHT. EXACTLY. IN FACT, ABOUT THREE DECADES AGO, COHEN SAYS A BACKFLOW FAILURE MADE NATIONAL NEWS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, IN BESSEMER, THEY HAD A CHEMICAL PLANT, HAD AN ISSUE, AND THEY HAD A BACK SIPHONAGE THAT LET THE CHEMICALS GO INTO THE GOODWATER AND PEOPLE GOT BURNED. TAKING A SHOWER. A FRIGHTENING REMINDER OF WHY THE VALVES ARE REQUIRED IN THE FIRST PLACE. NOW, WE DID REACH OUT TO THE BIRMINGHAM WATERWORKS BOARD TO GET AN UPDATE ON HARRIS NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD SITUATION. SO FAR, WE HAVE NOT HEARD. BACK LIVE IN BIRMING
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Liberty Park residents cite blindsiding backflow valve warning
Last week, we introduced you to Hoover residents claiming to be blindsided by a back flow regulator requirement: get it inspected or lose water service.The problem?They had never heard of such a device.Mike Harris said he watched our report which highlighted a problem his Liberty Park neighborhood is also facing.“I thought it was really informative. I mean, enlighten me again about what was going on and made me say, ‘Oh, we're not in this thing alone,’” Harris said.He says 120 homes in his Cotswold community need a back flow device.However, they claim the original contractor or the Birmingham Water Works should pay for it.“The problem was we had these homes being built as the area is being developed and the contractor saying, yeah, we put these things in and they signed off on it and turn it over to Birmingham Water Works,” Harris said.Bill Cone's company sells the valves in question.He says they've been required for decades.Alabama began stepping up its enforcement in 2006.“Every state wouldn't be enforcing this if this wasn't something that we need to be concerned with,” Cone said.That's because without the regulators, harmful chemicals could be sucked back into the public water supply.In fact, about three decades ago, Cone says a back flow failure made national news in Jefferson County. “In Bessemer, they had a chemical plant issue and they had a back siphonage that let the chemicals go into the good water and people got burned taking a shower,” he said.Cone and Harris said it should cost between $700-$2,000 to install a back flow regulator.That’s half as much as the Hoover residents we spoke with were quoted.
VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. —
Last week, we introduced you to Hoover residents claiming to be blindsided by a back flow regulator requirement: get it inspected or lose water service.
The problem?
They had never heard of such a device.
Mike Harris said he watched our report which highlighted a problem his Liberty Park neighborhood is also facing.
“I thought it was really informative. I mean, enlighten me again about what was going on and made me say, ‘Oh, we're not in this thing alone,’” Harris said.
He says 120 homes in his Cotswold community need a back flow device.
However, they claim the original contractor or the Birmingham Water Works should pay for it.
“The problem was we had these homes being built as the area is being developed and the contractor saying, yeah, we put these things in and they signed off on it and turn it over to Birmingham Water Works,” Harris said.
Bill Cone's company sells the valves in question.
He says they've been required for decades.
Alabama began stepping up its enforcement in 2006.
“Every state wouldn't be enforcing this if this wasn't something that we need to be concerned with,” Cone said.
That's because without the regulators, harmful chemicals could be sucked back into the public water supply.
In fact, about three decades ago, Cone says a back flow failure made national news in Jefferson County.
“In Bessemer, they had a chemical plant issue and they had a back siphonage that let the chemicals go into the good water and people got burned taking a shower,” he said.
Cone and Harris said it should cost between $700-$2,000 to install a back flow regulator.
That’s half as much as the Hoover residents we spoke with were quoted.
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