In collaboration with the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA), the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) announced the release of the fourth edition of IAPMO’s Backflow Prevention Reference Manual.

The second edition, published in 2011, merged two of the cross-connection control industry’s most relied upon training manuals into a single text. This included the first edition of IAPMO’s Backflow Prevention Reference Manual and the UA’s Cross-Connection Control Manual. The third edition of the Backflow Prevention Reference Manual, published in 2016, continued to build on the important collaboration between the UA and IAPMO’s Backflow Prevention Institute (BPI). The third edition became the most used reference manual in the training and certification of backflow assembly testers, repairers, surveyors, and others working in the cross-connection control industry.

The fourth edition of this full-color illustrated reference manual is designed to teach every aspect of backflow prevention and cross-connection control, from identifying and testing the wide variety of backflow prevention assemblies to proper selection and installation of both testable assemblies and non-testable backflow prevention devices and methods. This manual provides the user with the information needed to understand what degree of hazard or potential risks exist to potable water systems, and whether the proper backflow prevention method, device or assembly has been selected and correctly installed.

The manual covers the history of backflow prevention; definitions and devices; backflow prevention hydraulics; testing methods with full, detailed illustrations; an overview of gauges and test kits; troubleshooting guide; cross-connection control surveys; program development; code requirements and installation standards. The manual also contains sample test questions to help prepare an individual to become a certified backflow prevention tester, surveyor, or repairer. The fourth edition has been updated to the latest editions of the plumbing, mechanical, and fire protection codes and standards. It also features expanded chapters about non-testable devices and methods, and improved, updated, and expanded testing/repair/troubleshooting information reflecting the latest products and field-testing procedures. 

“We have taken the best publication for cross-connection training available in the industry and made it better,” said Sean Cleary, IAPMO vice president for Industry Programs and BPI Operations. “This new reference manual will be the gold standard for training and certification.”

To order a copy, visit the IAPMO online bookstore at www.iapmostore.org or call 1-800-85-IAPMO (854-2766). Training providers with questions should contact Sean Cleary at sean.cleary@iapmo.org.