Nikkola letter: Backflow systems

I’ve grown very concerned about the subject of “backflow” systems in Boise, wherein this valve is installed to prevent untreated irrigation water from entering our drinking water. The present system is not infallible. We had an alarming incident in my neighborhood when a foreclosed home sat vacant for several months and no one paid the bill for a backflow inspection for that one home, causing untreated irrigation water to enter the pipes for drinking water in the entire neighborhood, causing one elderly resident to contract Giardia and be hospitalized for 10 days — and has been in fragile health ever since. I suspect that if an infant had contracted this very dangerous infection, the infant would not have survived. In the interest of the public health for all residents of Boise, perhaps the city of Boise should take responsibility for backflow inspections to ensure that no untreated irrigation water ever gets into the drinking water of any building in Boise. There are a number of reasons why a backflow inspection invoice could go unpaid and an inspection not take place — and the risk of waterborne diseases is too high to allow such a risk.

Janna Nikkola, Boise

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Nikkola letter: Backflow systems."