Backflow Testing in Pfafftown, NC

Which rules apply to my Pfafftown address?

That depends on where your water comes from, and in Pfafftown it varies. The community is unincorporated, but much of it was annexed into Winston-Salem and Lewisville, mostly in 2006. WSFC serves where its lines exist, and other homes rely on private wells permitted by Forsyth County Environmental Health. A 2020 county resolution even noted that some unincorporated Forsyth residents lack public water. No map of Pfafftown coverage was found, so your water bill, or the lack of one, is the real answer.

What does WSFC expect from a homeowner?

On WSFC water, the Cross-Connection Control Program makes you responsible for installing, testing and maintaining any backflow assembly. Each is tested at installation and most every year after that by a WSFC-approved tester, who files the report through BSI Online. BSI mails a reminder 30 days before the due date. Since September 2024, NC Senate Bill 166 has allowed eligible residential irrigation systems without chemical feed to go three years between tests. A new assembly needs a permit and installation by a properly credentialed plumbing or utility contractor. All plumbing permits in Pfafftown, whether the address is in Winston-Salem, Lewisville or the county, go through the joint Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division.

What if my house is on a well?

A well-only home isn't part of the WSFC program, so there's no test to file. Backflow still matters on a well, though. Irrigation, chemical injectors and hoses run into tanks or ponds can siphon back into the household pipes when well pressure drops, so spigot vacuum breakers and the right device on any injector are worth having. The bigger concern is a property that got public water after annexation while keeping its old well. The two must never be tied together, because the well could push untreated water toward the public main. New wells need a Forsyth County construction permit, and the fee includes the first water sample.

A note for older Pfafftown homes

About a third of homes in the 27040 ZIP were built before 1980, many of them older rural houses now surrounded by newer subdivisions. If yours switched from a well to public water at some point, it's worth having a plumber confirm the old well line was fully cut off.