Chapter 13.15
CROSS CONNECTIONS
Sections:
Article I. Cross Connection Control – General Policy
13.15.020 Responsibility – Drinking water purveyor.
13.15.030 Responsibility – Consumer.
13.15.040 Responsibility – Plumbing official.
13.15.050 Responsibility – Certified backflow technician, surveyor, or repair person.
13.15.060 Responsibility – Repair of backflow assemblies.
Article II. Definitions
13.15.080 Approved backflow assembly.
13.15.090 Auxiliary water supply.
13.15.130 Backflow prevention assembly.
13.15.160 Cross connection – controlled.
13.15.170 Cross connection – containment.
Article III. Requirements
13.15.190 Violations of this policy.
Article I. Cross Connection Control – General Policy
13.15.010 Purpose of chapter.
A. To protect the public drinking water supply of Helper City from the possibility of contamination or pollution by requiring compliance with the Utah Public Drinking Water Rules (UPDWR) and the Plumbing Code, as adopted by the state of Utah, require a cross connection control protection of all public drinking water systems in the state of Utah. Compliance with these minimum safety codes will be considered reasonable diligence for the prevention of contaminants or pollutants which could backflow into the public drinking water system; and
B. To promote the reasonable elimination or control of cross connections in the plumbing fixtures and industrial piping system(s) of the consumer, as required by the state regulations and Plumbing Code to assure water system safety; and
C. To provide for the administration of a continuing program of backflow prevention which will systematically examine risk and effectively prevent contamination or pollution of the drinking water system. [Ord. 2017-4 § 1].
13.15.020 Responsibility – Drinking water purveyor.1
A. Helper City shall be responsible for the protection of the drinking water distribution system from the foreseeable conditions leading to the possible contamination or pollution of the drinking water system due to the backflow of contaminants or pollutants into the drinking water supply.
B. Drinking water system surveys/inspections of the consumer’s water distribution system(s) shall be conducted or caused to be conducted by individuals deemed qualified by and representing Helper City. Survey records shall indicate compliance with the state of Utah regulations. All such records will be maintained by Helper City public works.
C. Helper City public works shall schedule and notify in writing all consumers of the need for the periodic system survey to insure compliance with existing applicable minimum health and safety standards.
D. Selection of an approved backflow prevention assembly for containment control required at the service entrance shall be determined from the results of the system survey. [Ord. 2017-4 § 1].
13.15.030 Responsibility – Consumer.
A. To comply with this chapter as a term and condition of water supply and consumer’s acceptance of service is admittance of his/her awareness of his/her responsibilities as a water system user.
B. It shall be the responsibility of the consumer to purchase, install, and arrange testing and maintenance of any backflow prevention device/assembly required to comply with this chapter. Failure to comply with this chapter shall constitute grounds for discontinuation of service. [Ord. 2017-4 § 1].
13.15.040 Responsibility – Plumbing official.
A. The plumbing official’s responsibility to enforce the applicable sections of the Plumbing Code begins at the point of service (downstream or consumer side of the meter) and continues throughout the length of the consumer’s water system.
B. The plumbing official will review all plans to ensure that unprotected cross connections are not an integral part of the consumer’s water system. If a cross connection cannot be eliminated, it must be protected by the installation of an air gap or an approved backflow prevention device/assembly, in accordance with the adopted Plumbing Code. [Ord. 2017-4 § 1].
13.15.050 Responsibility – Certified backflow technician, surveyor, or repair person.
Whether employed by the consumer or a utility to survey, test, repair, or maintain backflow prevention assemblies the certified backflow technician, surveyor, or repair person will have the following responsibilities:
A. Insuring that acceptable testing equipment and procedures are used for testing, repairing or overhauling backflow prevention assemblies.
B. Making reports of such testing and/or repairs to the consumer and the water purveyor on forms approved for such use by the water purveyor within time frames as described by the Division of Drinking Water.
C. Including the list of materials or replacement parts being used on the reports.
D. Insuring that replacement parts are equal in quality to parts originally supplied by the manufacturer of the assembly being repaired.
E. Not changing the design, material or operational characteristics of the assembly during testing, repair or maintenance.
F. Performing all tests of the mechanical devices/assemblies and shall be responsible for the competence and accuracy of all test and reports.
G. Insuring that his/her license is current, the testing equipment being used is acceptable to the state of Utah, and is in proper operating condition.
H. Being equipped with, and competent to use, all necessary tools, gauges, and other equipment necessary to properly test and maintain backflow prevention assemblies.
I. Tagging each double check valve, pressure vacuum breaker, reduced pressure backflow assembly and high hazard air gap, showing the serial number, date tested and by whom. The certified technician’s license number must also be on the tag. [Ord. 2017-4 § 1].
13.15.060 Responsibility – Repair of backflow assemblies.
In the case of a consumer requiring an assembly to be tested, any currently certified backflow technician is authorized to make the test and report the results to the consumer and the water purveyor. The installation, replacement or repair of assemblies must be made by a tester having appropriate licensure from the Department of Commerce, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, except when the backflow technician is an agent of the assembly owner. [Ord. 2017-4 § 1].
Article II. Definitions
13.15.070 Water purveyor.
The person designated to be in charge of the water department of Helper City is invested with the authority and responsibility for the implementation of an effective cross connection control program and for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
13.15.080 Approved backflow assembly.
“Approved backflow assembly” means an assembly accepted by the Utah State Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Drinking Water, as meeting an applicable specification or as suitable for the proposed use. [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
13.15.090 Auxiliary water supply.
Any water supply on or available to the premises other than the purveyor’s public water supply will be considered as an auxiliary water supply. These auxiliary waters may include water from another purveyor’s public potable water supply or any natural source(s) such as a well, spring, river, stream, etc., or “used waters” or “industrial fluids.” These waters may be contaminated or polluted or they may be objectionable and constitute an unacceptable water source over which the water purveyor does not have authority for sanitary control. [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
13.15.100 Backflow.
“Backflow” means the reversal of the normal flow of water caused by either back-pressure or back-siphonage. [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
13.15.110 Back-pressure.
“Back-pressure” means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances from a region of high pressure to a region of lower pressure into the water distribution pipes of a potable water supply system from any source(s) other than the intended source. [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
13.15.120 Back-siphonage.
“Back-siphonage” means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances under vacuum conditions into the distribution pipes of a potable water supply system from any source(s) other than the intended source, caused by the reduction of pressure in the potable water system. [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
13.15.130 Backflow prevention assembly.
“Backflow prevention assembly” means an assembly or means designed to prevent backflow. Specifications for backflow prevention assemblies are contained within the Plumbing Code, as adopted by the state of Utah and in the Cross Connection Control Program for Utah maintained by the Division of Drinking Water. [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
13.15.140 Contamination.
“Contamination” means a degradation of the quality of the potable water supply by sewage, industrial fluids or waste liquids, compounds or other materials that may create a health hazard. [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
13.15.150 Cross connection.
“Cross connection” means any physical connection or arrangement of piping or fixtures which may allow nonpotable water or industrial fluids or other material of questionable quality to come into contact with potable water inside a water distribution system. This would include temporary conditions, such as swing connections, removable sections, four-way plug valves, spools, dummy sections of pipe, swivel or change-over devices or sliding multiport tubes or other plumbing arrangements. [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
13.15.160 Cross connection – controlled.
“Cross connection – controlled” means a connection between a potable water system and a nonpotable water system with an approved backflow prevention assembly properly installed and maintained so that it will continuously afford the protection commensurate with the degree of hazard. [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
13.15.170 Cross connection – containment.
“Cross connection – containment” means the installation of an approved backflow assembly at the water service connection to any customer’s premises where it is physically and economically infeasible to find, permanently eliminate or control all actual or potential cross connections within the customer’s water distribution system; or it shall mean the installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly on the service line leading to and supplying a portion of a customer’s water system where there are actual or potential cross connections which cannot be effectively eliminated or controlled at the point of the cross connection (isolation). [Ord. 2017-4 § 2].
Article III. Requirements
13.15.180 Policy.
A. No water service connection to any premises shall be installed or maintained by the water purveyor unless the water supply is protected as required by state laws, regulations, codes, and this chapter. Service of water to a consumer found to be in violation of this chapter shall be discontinued by the water purveyor after due process of written notification of violation and an appropriate time suspense for voluntary compliance, if:
1. A backflow prevention assembly required by this chapter for the control of backflow and cross connections is not installed, tested, and maintained; or
2. If it is found that a backflow prevention assembly has been removed or by-passed; or
3. If an unprotected cross connection exists on the premises; or
4. If the periodic system survey has not been conducted.
Service will not be restored until such conditions or defects are corrected.
B. The customer’s system(s) shall be open for inspection at all reasonable times to authorized representatives of the water purveyor to determine whether cross connections or other structural or sanitary hazards, including violation of this chapter, exist and to audit the results of the required survey (R309-400 of the Utah Administrative Code).
C. Whenever the public water purveyor deems a service connection’s water usage contributes a sufficient hazard to the water supply, an approved backflow prevention assembly shall be installed on the service line of the identified consumer’s water system, at or near the property line or immediately inside the building being served; but, in all cases, before the first branch line leading off the service line.
D. The type of protective assembly required under subsection (C) of this section shall depend upon the degree of hazard which exists at the point of cross connection (whether direct or indirect), applicable to local and state requirements or resulting from the required survey.
E. All presently installed backflow prevention assemblies which do not meet the requirements of this section but were approved assemblies for the purposes described herein at the time of installation and which have been properly maintained shall, except for the inspection and maintenance requirements under subsection (F) of this section, be excluded from the requirements of these rules so long as the water purveyor is assured that they will satisfactorily protect the public water system. Whenever the existing assembly is moved from the present location, or requires more than minimum maintenance, or when the water purveyor finds that the operation or maintenance of this assembly constitutes a hazard to health, the unit shall be replaced by an approved backflow prevention assembly meeting all local and state requirements.
F. It shall be the responsibility of the consumer at any premises where backflow prevention assemblies are installed to have certified surveys/inspections and operational tests made at least once per year at the consumer’s expense. In those instances where the public water purveyor deems the hazard to be great, he may require certified surveys/inspections and test at a more frequent interval. It shall be the duty of the purveyor to see that these tests are made according to the standards set forth by the State Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Drinking Water.
G. All backflow prevention assemblies shall be tested within 10 working days of initial installation.
H. No backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed so as to create a safety hazard. Example: installed over an electrical panel, steam pipes, boilers, or above ceiling level. [Ord. 2017-4 § 3].
13.15.190 Violations of this policy.
If violations of this chapter exist or if there has not been any corrective action taken by the consumer within 10 days of the written notification of the deficiencies noted within the survey or test results, then the water purveyor shall deny or immediately discontinue service to the premises by providing a physical break in the service line until the customer has corrected the condition(s) in conformance with all state and local regulations and statutes relating to plumbing, safe drinking water suppliers, and this chapter. [Ord. 2017-4 § 3].
Code reviser’s note: Ord. 2017-4 adds this section as 13.15.030. The section has been editorially renumbered to avoid duplication of numbering.