Perform a Survey

This article details how to perform a survey in the Backflow software. The purpose of this article is to educate the surveyor on what general requirements and state requirements are necessary to complete a facility survey.

Open a survey

1. Select work from the Control Panel with the work type set to “Survey”.

   

2. Select the “Open” button 
   
3. This will open the Facility Screen, select the “Survey Form” tab. If the survey tab is not present, the survey form can be opened via the “Open Survey” button on the Facility Screen 
   
    

Perform a Survey

Survey header information

1. First verify that the prefilled Facility Name and Water Acct at the top of the screen matches the facility to be surveyed. 
   
2. Surveyor, Survey type, and Date Surveyed are Required. 
   Note: If a Surveyors License is configured in the Backflow software, the Surveyor field will be auto populated with the name of the user who is signed in.
   
3. Select Facility Type from the drop-down menu.
   Note: Selecting a different Facility Type from the drop-down menu will not alter the existing Facility Type that is listed on the Facility Screen. 
   
4. Select Facility Use from the drop-down menu. If the facility has a Facility Use listed on the Facility screen it will auto-populate.
   Note: Selecting a different Facility Use from the drop-down menu will not alter the existing Facility Use that is listed on the Facility Screen
   
5. Select Service Size from the drop-down menu
6. Select Service Metered from the drop-down menu

Manual Fail 

The Manual Fail drop-down option should be selected if there is something preventing the survey from occurring. If a Manual Fail is required, choose a manual fail option and save the survey. Please still choose a contamination if the survey is in Massachusetts or COC’s if the survey is in Connecticut.

Survey Body

1. When filling out the body of the survey, there are some questions that when answered ‘Yes’ will cause more questions to appear. 
   a. Q1: Is supplement protection at the meter required? -> if yes, what type of backflow device is in use?
   b. Q3: Does boiler feed utilize chemical additives -> if yes, is the boiler protected with a backflow device?
   c. Q4: Does this facility have an air conditioning cooling tower -> if yes, is the cooling tower protected with a backflow device
   d. Q5: Is a water saver in use on condensing lines or cooling tower -> If yes, is the makeup line protected with a backflow device
   e. Q6: Is the process water in use in this facility? -> if yes is the process water “potable” water or “raw” water? & is the process water line protected with a backflow device?
   f. Q7: Does this facility have a fire protection system? -> if yes, is the fire protection system supplied by a dedicated water? & What type of backflow device is being used on the fire protection system?
   
   
   Fully expanded filled out survey form

State Requirements

1. A contamination is required when conducting a survey in Massachusetts. At least one option must be selected.
   Note: A contamination is required even if the Manual Fail option is selected. 
   
2. Categories of Concern are required for Connecticut clients.
   Note: A COC is required even if the Manual Fail option is selected.
   

Current Devices

This is a list of hazard devices that are currently in the active or inactive device state for the facility that is being surveyed. Columns can be sorted, filtered, and removed by clicking on the right side of the column header.

The add device button allows users to add a device without having to exit the survey form.

 

Violations – Proposed Devices

A violation is any Hazard that is not in compliance with local or state water authority rules and regulations.  When a violation is added a proposed device will be created for the associated hazard. This device will not be accessible through the Hazard Listing screen. 

Violations may be edited; however, the device state must be changed to one of the four other states in order to save the updated information.

If there are violations listed in this section when the survey is completed, the survey will fail. Subsequent surveys after a failing result will automatically load existing violations to the grid. Violations that are no longer valid can be deleted using the “Delete Violation” button.

 

Notes

After filling out all the survey fields, there is an optional note field. Any option selected from the Quick Note will be combined with what is typed into the Note field. Only one note can be submitted per survey.

Saving the Survey

1. Complete Survey: Once all questions are answered the survey can be completed. When the survey is marked as ‘Complete’, the result status, either pass or fail, will display at the bottom of the survey form.
   Example failing survey result
2. Optional Save Draft: allows the surveyor to keep the survey as a draft on the device and then come back to it at a later date. When the survey form is reopened for this facility, it should open the draft. This can be useful when conducting surveys that take multiple days.
3. Once the survey is complete, click “Save Survey” from the bottom right of the form. 
   Note: The survey must be completed before it is saved
   
4. The software will then display the Signature Screen. The facility representative should sign the signature pad and type their name in the ‘Facility Signature Name’ field. Then click the “Save” button
   If there is no representative available to sign, click the “Save Without Signature” button to save the Survey.
   
5. The survey is now complete, and the software will return to the Control Panel. The due dates for the survey are automatically advanced by the predetermined interval once the survey is saved.
6. The survey reports are available from the bottom of the Facility Screen.