Note:
5/23/25: Cross Connection letters were recently mailed to District 4 residents. If you are located in District 4 and completed your backflow testing last year, you may disregard the notice. Residents located in District 5 will be asked to complete testing this year. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Click here to view Residential Cross Connection Control District Map
What's New
The DPW Water and Sewer Division is the entity charged with providing safe drinking water to Novi residents and businesses. State and Federal Laws (Safe Drinking Water Acts) require that the City of Novi protect water supply to the customer’s tap. The Plumbing Code, Michigan Residential Code, and the City of Novi Code of Ordinances also require that the City verify that cross connections on private plumbing systems do not pose a contamination risk to the public water supply through the enforcement of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Part 14 Administrative Rules for Cross-Connection Control.
As part of the cross connection control program, the Water and Sewer Division will be performing inspections of residential, commercial, and industrial cross connections to ensure that backflow prevention devices are in place, and present on the plumbing systems. This may include testable and non-testable devices. Testable devices must be tested.
Consumers also share in the responsibility for protecting the water supply by properly maintaining their plumbing systems in a safe condition.
Commercial Information
Please complete the fillable form requesting a time extension for the required maintenance upgrade for your fire sprinkler system backflow prevention assembly. Once the fillable areas are completed, please print the request on your company letter head, sign and return an original copy to the Water & Sewer Division. The time extension request should be based upon a reasonable, realistic time period needed for corrective upgrade measures to your fire sprinkler system noting the urgency and importance of protecting the public drinking water supply and the process necessary to complete the corrective measures including your internal process.
Residential
Forms
Informational
Winterize Your Backflow Preventer
Improper winterization of your backflow preventer =$$$
How to properly winterize your lawn irrigation system
Why Does My Hose Bibb Vacuum Breaker I Put On Keep Spraying?
The water in the hose is under backpressure due to handheld spray unit that is considered a downstream valve. The water vents to the atmosphere through the little holes around it as it’s designed to do instead of potentially back pressuring into your drinking water supply. It’s doing what it is supposed to do. Once the pressure is relieved, it stops.
Pressure Vacuum Breaker
The Pressure Vacuum Breaker (PVB) backflow preventer is on the right above the red line. The Sprinkler head, circled in yellow, must be 12 inches below the red line.
The Pressure Vacuum Breaker (PVB) backflow preventer (white arrow). The Backflow Preventer, measured from the red line, must be 12 inches above the highest sprinkler head. In this picture, the backflow preventer must be raised, or sprinkler heads must be lowered.