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Got a letter from Sydney Water about backflow testing and wondering if you have to pay Sydney Water to do the test? You are not alone. Every year thousands of Sydney property owners, tenants and managers get that notice and the first question is about cost. This guide gives you a straight answer. We explain […]

Got a letter from Sydney Water sitting on your desk right now? If you are a property manager in Parramatta, a cafe owner near the Opera House, or looking after a strata block in Bondi, your first instinct is to Google the cheapest fix and get it over with. That instinct can cost you more […]

That envelope from Sydney Water lands in your letterbox and suddenly you are Googling what a backflow test even is. Then you call around. One plumber says 150 dollars. Another says 350 dollars. A third adds call-out fees and certificate fees on top. What is actually included? We get this question every day at Backflow […]

The property owner gets his mail and finds that there is a notice from Sydney Water which indicates the need for backflow testing. The notice could be referring to an RPZ or double-check valve. These two work by ensuring that the contaminated water does not flow backwards into the primary source of drinking water. They […]

When a property owner hears the term “air gap”, it is not unusual for him to just interpret it to mean that there is just some gap left between the faucet and the sink. However, in the commercial plumbing sector, this short phrase may actually be used to denote a very specialised technique for safeguarding […]

You are given a notice from Sydney Water regarding your backflow compliance test; schedule a licensed plumber to conduct the test and you pass. Your water is now restored and your premises are safe. What next? It’s time to figure out what happens with your documentation. It is important to understand how the outcome of […]

If you own or manage a property with a testable backflow prevention device, annual testing is a mandatory compliance obligation, not an optional upgrade. Failing to test your backflow device means you are operating a non-compliant water connection. If compliance is ignored, Sydney Water can arrange testing on your behalf and charge you for it, […]

This decrease in water pressure could potentially suck contaminated water into the clean water supply that is used throughout your whole building. While this might seem like an uncommon catastrophe, it is something that occurs more frequently than most think. Whether you are the owner of a busy coffee shop close to the Sydney Harbour […]

We open the tap and expect clean, safe drinking water, but the plumbing systems that supply it are anything but simple. From commercial, industrial and strata premises, these networks of pipework often link the main water supply to chemical storage tanks, irrigation systems, cooling towers and industrial processes. When the pressure in a water supply […]

Turning on the tap and being greeted with a dirty, foul-smelling stream of water is a worrying sight. If you are a Sydney local or visiting the city, you would expect the water you drink to be clean and safe. If residents find that the water they are drinking has suddenly become contaminated, they may […]

If you have a commercial development, a strata building or even a home in the greater Sydney area, you are likely to depend on a steady supply of clean and safe drinking water. But what would happen if the water that came from your tap was going the wrong way? This potentially harmful reversal of […]

If you received a backflow test reminder letter from Sydney Water recently, you must be one of many who will be going online for the fees. Once you begin calling around for a quote, you will probably discover that the prices quoted in the plumbing industry are quite varied. A quote ranges anywhere between $89 […]

Your choice of backflow device will be based wholly on the hazard level of your property as per the Australian standards. High hazard properties (chemical plants, certain restaurants, etc.) will require an RPZ Valve while medium hazard properties (standard commercial strata, for example) will require a DCV Valve. Pressure Vacuum Breakers should only be used […]

Most of us simply open the faucet and assume the water will be safe and clean for drinking. Sydney property owners particularly tend to take this sort of thing for granted. But what if the flow of water coming into your house actually changes direction on you? This kind of situation is a very dangerous […]