Is anyone being required to have a backflow prevention valve in between incoming water and carbon tanks,on a portable system? The rational for such: is in case of the incoming water droping out, the water in the prefilter and carbon tanks will not flow back,contaminating the potable water. Thanks. D.

I had to do to local codes.

A back flow prevention device should be installed according to the proposed AAMI standards for acute dialysis.

Local codes require us to have them, and certify them annually. I agree that reality has little bearing on the situation.

I haven't heard anything like that. I know the hospital has several backflow preventers in the building to protect the city water. I guess I never thought about protecting the hospital potable water source. Makes sense.

Nonameuno, You say this is a proposed standard. I take that to be that it is at this time not a AAMI standard? I can not find the backflow standard pertaining to potable water and the connection to the RO. This is a acute enviornment. Thanks, D.

DDC, the AAMI Renal Disease and Detoxification Committee is meeting in November to decide on these proposed standards. The draft of the standards was free to AAMI members and $25 for non-members. The draft has just been rewritten, so I would wait until AAMI makes a final decision.

Chuck W. posted a thread on AAMI and back flow prevention. He was concerned about loss of water pressure.

AAMI does NOT REQUIRE a backflow prevention device. It is requied by your local plumbing code. In support of the local plumbing codes, the DRAFT amendment to RD52 specifically for acute dialysis currently says "Though it is very unlikely that a portable (acute) water treatment system would back up and contaminate the potable water system, backflow prevention is considered a necessary and safe precaution for these systems. A backflow prevention device, such as a Pressure Principle Backflow Assembly (PPBA) or a vacuum breaker, should be installed at the point of connection to the potable water system. In some instances, local code may require a “break tank” device in place of a PPBA as the preferred method to prevent backflow."