BACKFLOW PREVENTION FAQs

Backflow prevention devices are an important component of our drinking water protection program and are legally mandated under the New York State Sanitary Code and the Rules of the City of New York for those businesses identified as posing a risk to the public water supply.

In general, all buildings in New York that fit into any of the following categories are required to have a backflow prevention device:

• Properties with (2) or more residential dwellings, including (but not limited to) detached homes, brownstones, and apartment buildings.
• Mixed-use properties that include at least (1) commercial space and (1) residential dwelling.
• Properties with in-ground irrigation (ex: lawn sprinklers).
• Most commercial use buildings, especially those that contain restaurants, food processing plants, schools, sewage treatment plants, warehouses with toxic storage, and hospitals, to name a few.

For a full list of property types required to have backflow prevention devices, please visit the FAQ of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection here.

Property owners must hire a Licensed Master Plumber to install a backflow prevention device. Tenants are not responsible for managing the installation or maintenance of backflow prevention devices.

As long as the DEP has certification in writing from a Licensed Master Plumber that a device is in the process of being installed, you will not receive a Notice of Violation.

Yes, yes, and yes!

For more information on backflow devices and their uses and regulations in New York City, you can visit the New York City Department of Environmental Protection website and their page on backflow devices here.