A cross-connection occurs when a pipe designed to carry safe drinking water is connected at some point to a pipe containing unsafe water or other liquid material. You may not think of your home as having such hazards, but if you have a hose that is submerged in any of the following, you've created a cross-connection:
- Bathtub
- Carwash Bucket
- Contaminated Water in a Pool
- Laundry Sink
- Pesticide Sprayer Connected to a Garden Hose
If a water main breaks, the potential exists for unsafe substances to be siphoned back into the water supply. This means that those mentioned could be drawn into the water system. Once there, the contamination could affect many.