Photo By Airman 1st Class Jonathan Sifuentes | Garett Matthews, 366th Training Squadron instructor, Sheppard AFB, TX, conducts an...... read more read more
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KADENA AIR BASE, Japan - Throughout the month of July, the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron is hosting the Mobile Backflow Prevention Devices Testing Course for CE Airmen. Participants throughout Pacific Air Forces are visiting Kadena to be trained and certified in backflow prevention device maintenance.
Water and fuel systems maintenance personnel are responsible for operating and maintaining the water, wastewater, and fuel distribution systems. Having Airmen trained in backflow devices prevent the potable water system from being contaminated.
“Backflow prevention is vital to the safety and conservation of the base potable water distribution system,” said Edwin Salazar, 18th CES Water and Fuel Systems Maintenance foreman. “Trained personnel will benefit the section by performing and completing preventative maintenance tasks on backflow devices, meeting the 5-year Federal Cross-Connection Survey.”
Backflow prevention is used to protect an installation’s potable water system from harmful contaminants and unpalatable pollutants. Both of which can come from many non-potable water sources. Examples of some of the high hazards that the program is designed to protect against are, water make-up lines for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning chillers and boilers that use very harmful chemicals for corrosion control; hospital autopsy tables; and stagnant water inside of fire suppression systems.
Without backflow prevention devices, and under the appropriate conditions, all of these dangerous unwanted liquids have the potential to be siphoned into our potable water system. This can happen through either a direct or indirect cross-connection. All of these instances require a backflow prevention device.
Garrett Matthews, 366th Training Squadron instructor, Sheppard AFB, TX, is visiting Kadena to instruct the four day course. His goal is to educate PACAF Airmen in backflow terminology, testing, troubleshooting and repairing backflow prevention devices. The course tests participants ability to utilize backflow device testing equipment as part of an Air Force Instruction requirement for their certification.
“Each base utilizes backflow devices, every U.S. state has a different plumbing code and testing to get certified,” said Tech. Sgt. Made Perdana, 18th CES Water and Fuel Systems Maintenance noncommissioned officer in charge. “The training is exclusive to overseas Airmen. In the U.S., each state has their own requirements, Alaska and Hawaii would be included with separate requirements since they are stateside.”
CE solves diverse and unique issues daily in order to keep facilities and infrastructure running effectively. Having backflow prevention training allows Airmen to ensure the potable water system is protected, not only at Kadena, home of the largest Civil Engineer group in the U.S. Air Force, but all other bases across the globe.
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2024 01:42 |
| Story ID: | 476787 |
| Location: | KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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