Commercial Plumbing in Bonita, CA

Does a Bonita property need a backflow device?

Often, yes. Sweetwater Authority's cross-connection program lists the situations that call for a device, and several fit commercial and shared property: multi-unit complexes, fire sprinkler systems, properties with pumps or an auxiliary water source, wells and gray water systems. Once installed, the device has to be tested right away and then every year by a tester certified and approved by Sweetwater. The owner pays for installation, testing, maintenance and repair. If a test fails, a plumber rebuilds or replaces the bad parts and the assembly is retested. Sweetwater's line, (619) 420-1413, handles questions and after-hours water problems.

Why does equipment scale up so fast here?

Sweetwater blends Sweetwater Reservoir water with local fresh and brackish groundwater (the brackish wells are treated by reverse osmosis) and imported water, and it reports total hardness from 94 to 300 ppm as calcium carbonate, averaging 196. At that level, scale coats the inside of storage heaters, clogs aerators and sensor valves and shortens the time between cleanings for ice and dish machines. Clubhouse kitchens, salons and restaurants along Bonita Road and Sweetwater Road tend to notice it first. A plumber can flush tanks, replace anode rods and talk through whether a softener makes sense for a particular piece of equipment.

Is the service line likely to be lead or galvanized?

Sweetwater built a lead service line inventory using records review, field checks and a state-approved statistical method, and it found no lead or galvanized service lines needing replacement, including the customer-owned side. That covers the line from the main to the building, not the plumbing inside. Bonita's median home was built around 1975, so many nearby buildings have original drain lines and valves that are reaching the end of their service life.

A note on permits and sewer in Bonita

We haven't confirmed which building department or sewer agency covers every Bonita address, so check with the building department that handles your parcel before permitted work, and look at the property's bills to see who provides sewer. Gas is SDG&E: if staff smell gas, get everyone outside, then call 911 and SDG&E at 1-800-611-7343 from a safe distance.