Backflow Testing in Selma, NC

Selma's water setup

Selma's main water system draws from the town's own groundwater wells and is disinfected with chlorine. A separate Selma-Countyline system distributes surface water purchased from Johnston County East; the Town's report doesn't describe which streets are on it. Research for this site found no Selma cross-connection program, testing interval or tester list. That's unknown, not exempt. About 55% of Selma homes were built before 1980, and the I-95 corridor brings hotels, restaurants and fuel stops, the kind of connections where backflow protection matters most.

What to do now

1. Check your bill to confirm you're a Town of Selma customer rather than on Johnston County water or a private well.
2. Ask the Town before adding irrigation or business equipment. Find out what device it accepts and whether it wants test results.
3. Separate any old well. A well must never share piping with town water.
4. Add vacuum breakers to outdoor faucets where hoses fill buckets, pools or sprayers.
5. Get permits in order. Selma requires Town zoning approval first, then Johnston County Building Inspections handles the building side.

Warning signs and causes

What affects cost

• Installing a device versus testing one already in place
• Device type: vacuum breaker, double check or reduced pressure assembly
• Older supply pipe that needs replacing where the device goes
• Separating a well from town water
• Commercial connections, which may need more than one assembly
• Access, if the meter or device sits under a parking area, deck or dense planting

A plumber who knows the area can usually tell from the meter and pipe layout which Selma system a property sits on, but the bill is the reliable answer. On older houses near the downtown and West Selma historic districts, expect the plumber to check the supply pipe as well, since a new device is only as sound as the fittings on either side of it.