CHAPTER 5
CROSS CONNECTIONS
SECTION:
6-5-3: Protection Of Water Supply
6-5-4: Use Of Backflow Prevention Devices
6-5-5: Cross Connection Inspections
6-5-7: Violations And Penalties
6-5-1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE:
The purpose of this chapter, in conjunction with the uniform plumbing code and Idaho Code section 37-2102, is to protect the health and safety of water consumers that are provided water service from the Garden City municipal water system by the control of actual and/or potential cross connections through the installation, inspection, and testing of approved backflow prevention devices. The city of Garden City is empowered to eliminate or control all cross connections throughout its service area. (Ord. 605, 5-12-1993)
6-5-2 DEFINITIONS:
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BACKFLOW: |
The flow, other than the intended direction of flow, of any foreign liquids, gases or substances into the distribution system of a public water supply. |
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BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE: |
A device to counteract back pressure or prevent back siphonage. |
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CONTAMINATION: |
The entry into or presence in a public water supply of any substances which may be deleterious to health and/or quality of the water. |
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CROSS CONNECTION: |
Any physical arrangement whereby a public water supply is connected, directly or indirectly, with any other water supply system, sewer, drain, conduit, pool, storage reservoir, plumbing fixture or other device which contains or may contain contaminated water, sewage or other waste or liquids of unknown or unsafe quality which may be capable of imparting contamination to the public water supply as a result of backflow. |
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DIRECTOR: |
The director of the department of health and welfare of the state of Idaho, or his authorized agent. |
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ENGINEER: |
The city engineer of Garden City who shall be a registered professional engineer in the state of Idaho. |
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HEALTH OFFICER: |
The state of Idaho department of health and welfare health officer, or other authorized agent. |
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PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY: |
Any system of water supply intended or used for human consumption or other domestic uses, including source, treatment, storage, transmission and distribution facilities, where water is furnished to any collection or number of individuals, or is made available to the public for human consumption or domestic use. |
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PURVEYOR: |
The city of Garden City or its authorized agent. |
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REGULATIONS: |
The Idaho regulations for public drinking water systems, 7-1-85 November 1977, division of environment, department of health and welfare, state of Idaho, and as may be subsequently amended or modified. |
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SUPERINTENDENT: |
The director of public works of the city of Garden City, or his authorized agent. (Ord. 429, 11-10-1980; amd. 1988 Code; Ord. 605, 5-12-1993) |
6-5-3 PROTECTION OF WATER SUPPLY:
No water service connection to any premises shall be installed or continued in use by the purveyor unless the water supply is protected by backflow prevention devices whenever required by this chapter. The installation or maintenance of a cross connection which will endanger the water quality of the potable water supply of the city shall be unlawful and is prohibited and shall be penalized as hereinafter provided. Any such cross connection now existing or hereafter installed is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and the same shall be abated as provided by law for any public nuisance. The control or elimination of the cross connections shall be in accordance with this chapter and the regulations, together with the latest edition of appropriate manuals of standard practice pertaining to cross connections control, approved by the director. The engineer shall have the authority to establish requirements more stringent than state regulations, if he deems that the conditions so dictate. Such requirements shall be published and available to the public at the city hall of Garden City. The purveyor shall adopt and publish rules and regulations as necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, and shall have such rules and regulations available in published form to the public. Backflow prevention devices required by this chapter are intended to protect the Garden City municipal water system. Once water, supplied by the city, has been provided to a customer, and backflow prevention devices have been required and installed by the customer, that customer shall be responsible for the installation of any additional, on premises, backflow prevention devices for the further protection of waters supplied to the premises downstream of the backflow prevention device required by this chapter. (Ord. 429, 11-10-1980)
6-5-4 USE OF BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICES:
A. Location Of Backflow Prevention Devices: Backflow prevention devices shall be installed at the point of entry of any premises where, in the judgment of the purveyor or the health officer, the nature and extent of the activities or the materials stored on the premises would present an immediate and/or dangerous hazard to health and/or be deleterious to the quality of the water should a cross connection occur; even though such cross connection does not exist at the time the backflow prevention device shall be installed in all premises under circumstances including, but not limited to, the following:
1. Premises having an auxiliary water supply.
2. Premises having internal cross connections that are not correctable, or intricate plumbing arrangements which make it impracticable to ascertain whether or not cross connections exist.
3. Premises where entry is restricted so that inspections for cross connections cannot be made with sufficient frequency or at sufficiently short notice to assure that cross connections do not exist.
4. Premises having a repeated history of cross connections being established or reestablished.
5. Premises on which any substance is handled under pressure so as to permit entry into the public water supply, or where a cross connection could reasonably be expected to occur. This shall include the handling of process waters and cooling waters.
6. Premises where materials of a toxic or hazardous nature are handled or stored in such a manner that if backflow should occur, a serious health hazard might result.
7. The following types of facilities will fall into one of the above categories where a backflow prevention device is required to protect the public water supply. A backflow prevention device shall be installed at these facilities unless the purveyor and the director determines that no hazard exists:
Car washes.
Chemical plants using a water process.
Fire sprinkler systems.
Food or beverage processing plants.
Hospitals, mortuaries, clinics, laboratories.
Irrigation and/or residential sprinkler systems.
Metal plating industries.
Petroleum processing or storage plants.
Piers and docks.
Radioactive material processing plants.
Sewage treatment plants.
Water processing plants.
8. Other premises, as specified by the engineer, superintendent or health officer, where backflow prevention devices are required to protect the public water supply.
B. Type Of Device: The type of protective device required shall depend on the degree of hazard which exist. The following backflow prevention devices shall be installed in accordance with the current edition of the "Accepted Procedures And Practice In Cross Connection Control" manual of the American Water Works Association or the following requirements whichever is the more stringent. The following backflow prevention devices shall not be installed in such a manner as to be subject to flooding, freezing, incidental damage, or exposed to corrosive fumes:
1. Air Gap Separation: To be installed in situations where elimination of cross connection or backflow is critical. Separating between the end of the potable water system and the rim of the receiving vessel, tank, or fixture, shall be not less than one inch (1") or two (2) times the inside diameter of the potable water system piping, whichever is greater.
2. Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly: To be installed where the public water supply may be contaminated with sewage, industrial waste of a toxic nature or other contaminant which, should backflow or cross connection occur, would create a serious threat to the public water supply. This device shall be installed, as a unit, between two (2) resilient seated valves, to allow testing, twelve inches (12") from the finish grade or floor to the bottom of the backflow assembly and not more than five feet (5’) above finish grade. Must be installed horizontally.
3. Double Check Valve Assembly: Shall be installed, as a unit, between two (2) resilient seated valves, for testing, twelve inches (12") from the finish grade to the bottom of the backflow preventer, and not more than five feet (5’) above finish grade. Must be installed horizontally.
4. Pressure Vacuum Breaker Assembly: Shall be installed, as a unit, between two (2) resilient seated valves, to allow testing, twelve inches (12") above all downstream piping, openings, and sprinkler heads and not more than five feet (5’) above finish grade.
5. Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker: Shall be installed twelve inches (12") above all downstream piping, openings, and sprinkler heads, and not more than five feet (5’) high. There shall be no valves of any type or size downstream of an atmospheric breaker.
C. Location Requirement: Backflow prevention devices required by this chapter shall be located within the facility requiring the backflow prevention so as to be readily accessible for maintenance, testing, and inspection, furthermore, where no part of the device will be submerged. Installation in pits is prohibited.
D. Installation Requirement: Backflow prevention devices required by this chapter shall be installed under the supervision of and/or with the approval of the purveyor.
E. Device Approval: Any protective device required by this chapter shall be a model approved by the purveyor. A double check valve assembly or a reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device will be approved if it has successfully passed performance tests of the University of Southern California Engineering Center or meet AWWA C-506 standard, or another equal test. If atmospheric vacuum breakers or pressure vacuum breakers are used, they shall meet the minimum standards established by the American Society of Sanitary Engineering, or equal. These devices shall be furnished and installed by and at the expense of the customer.
F. Selection Chart For Backflow Prevention Devices: Chart indicates the minimum degree of protection allowed. When two (2) devices are indicated, determination of actual device to be used will be made by superintendent based upon degree of hazard within the premises or property.
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Type of Facility |
Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker |
Pressure Vacuum Breaker |
Double Check Valve |
Reduced Pressure Backflow Preventer |
Air Gap |
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Animal watering |
X |
X |
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Aspirators |
X |
X |
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Autoclaves |
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X |
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Autopsy |
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X |
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Boilers |
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X |
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Commercial dishwasher |
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X |
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Fixing tees with steam |
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X |
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Heat exchangers |
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X |
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High rise buildings |
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X |
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Irrigation and sprinkler systems |
X1 |
X2 |
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Laundries |
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X |
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Mobile home parks and RV parks (dependent on plumbing) |
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X |
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Private water source |
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X |
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Radiator vats |
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X |
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Slaughterhouses |
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X |
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Water boost pumps |
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X |
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Notes:
1. No valves allowed downstream of backflow preventer.
2. With valves downstream.
G. Selection Chart For Backflow Prevention Devices: Chart indicates the minimum degree of protection allowed. When two (2) devices are indicated, determination of actual device to be used will be made by superintendent based upon degree of hazard within the premises or property.
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Type of Facility |
Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker |
Pressure Vacuum Breaker |
Double Check Valve |
Reduced Pressure Backflow Preventer |
Air Gap |
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Car washes |
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X |
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Chemical plants |
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X |
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Docks and marinas |
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X |
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Film labs |
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X |
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Food processors |
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X |
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Fertilizers plants |
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X |
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Hospitals |
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X |
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Laboratories |
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X |
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Meatpacking plants |
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X |
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Medical building |
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X |
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Nonpotable water system |
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X |
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Oil refineries and storage facilities |
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X |
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Sanitariums |
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X |
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Sewage plants |
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X |
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Truck fill station |
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X |
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Mortuaries |
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X |
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Swimming pools |
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X |
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Water heating and cooling system |
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X |
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H. Inspections: Backflow prevention devices installed pursuant to this chapter, except atmospheric vacuum breakers, shall be inspected and tested upon installation and annually thereafter, or more often if necessary. Inspections, tests and maintenance shall be conducted by persons certified by the state of Idaho and shall be at the customer’s expense. Whenever a device is found to be defective, they shall be repaired, overhauled, or replaced at the customer’s expense. Copy of all test reports shall be sent to the Garden City public works department. Copy of all test reports shall be maintained at the premise and shall be available for inspection if so requested by the superintendent or state health official.
I. Underground Sprinkling Devices: No underground sprinkling device will be installed without adequate backflow prevention devices at the point from which the water for irrigation is taken from the public water supply.
J. Termination Of Water Service: Failure of the customer to cooperate in the installation, maintenance, testing or inspection of backflow prevention devices required by this chapter and the regulations, shall be grounds for termination of water service to the premises. (Ord. 429, 11-10-1980)
6-5-5 CROSS CONNECTION INSPECTIONS:
A. No water shall be delivered to any structure hereafter built within the city or within areas served by the city water until the same shall have been inspected by the purveyor for possible cross connections and have been approved as being free of the same.
B. Any construction for industrial or other purposes which is classified as hazardous facilities pursuant to section 6-5-4 of this chapter, where it is reasonable to anticipate intermittent cross connections, or as determined by the director, shall be protected by the installation of one or more backflow prevention devices at the point of entry from the public water supply into the premises or any other location designated by the purveyor.
C. Inspections shall be made periodically of all buildings, structures or improvements of any nature now receiving water through the city’s system, for the purpose of ascertaining whether cross connections exist. Such inspections shall be made by the purveyor. (Ord. 429, 11-10-1980)
6-5-6 ADDITIONAL REMEDIES:
In the event an improper cross connection is not corrected within the time limit set by the superintendent, or in the event the purveyor is refused access to any property for the purpose of determining whether or not cross connections exist, delivery of water to the property shall cease until the deficiency is corrected to the purveyor’s satisfaction. In addition, the purveyor may effect the necessary repairs or modifications at the expense of the property owner and refuse delivery of water to the property until the cost thereof shall have been paid. (Ord. 429, 11-10-1980)
6-5-7 VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES:
Any person who violates, disobeys, omits, neglects or refuses to comply with, or resists the enforcement of any of the provisions of this chapter or the rules and regulations as adopted by this chapter, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall for each offense be punished by a fine as provided in section 1-4-1 of this code. (Ord. 429, 11-10-1980; amd. 1988 Code)