Backflow Testing in Erwin, NC

Erwin's situation

Erwin is a former cotton-mill town on the Cape Fear River next to Dunn. Since 2006, Harnett Regional Water has owned its water and sewer, and the Town tells residents to call Harnett Regional Water (910-893-7575) for service and billing. The water is Cape Fear River water treated at the Lillington plant and disinfected with chloramines. The research behind this page didn't find a Harnett Regional Water backflow program page, so ask the utility directly if you're adding irrigation or a business connection. Erwin's housing is old: about 24% of homes were built in 1939 or earlier and roughly two-thirds before 1980.

What to do now

1. Call Harnett Regional Water, not Town Hall, about any water-side requirement.
2. Get the Town zoning permit first for a new installation; Harnett County Inspections won't issue a building permit without it.
3. Plan for pipe work. In a mill-era house, the line near the meter may need replacing before a device can go in.
4. Protect hose spigots with vacuum breakers.
5. Separate any old well from the public supply.

Signs and their usual causes

What affects cost

• Installing new protection versus servicing an existing device
• The type of device the hazard calls for
• Replacing old galvanized supply pipe at the device
• Permits through Harnett County Inspections after the Town zoning permit
• Access around older foundations and crawl spaces
• Whether more than one spigot or line needs protection at the same visit

With so many Erwin houses built before 1940, expect a plumber to look at the surrounding pipe, not just the device. Galvanized lines corrode from the inside, and threading a new fitting onto a weak section can start a leak a few feet away. Replacing a short run near the meter at the same time is often the cleaner fix, and it gives a testable assembly solid connections on both ends.