§ 41-21. Backflow protection required.

(a)

Policy. The city will not install or maintain a water service connection to any premises unless the water supply is protected as required by all applicable laws and regulations of the city and of the state. Service of water to any premises may be discontinued by the city if a backflow prevention assembly required by this article is not of the proper type, is not approved by the city, is not installed, tested successfully, and maintained, or if a backflow prevention assembly has been removed, bypassed, or if an unprotected cross-connection exists on the premises. Service will not be restored until such conditions or defects are corrected.

(b)

Requirements.

(1)

Before a consumer may receive a certificate of occupancy or potable water service from the city's system, the consumer shall submit to the director when the director asks for it, a complete installation, test, and maintenance report of a testable backflow prevention assembly showing successful completion of the test.

(2)

The consumer shall open his or her system for inspection at all reasonable times to the director to determine whether unprotected cross-connections or other structural or sanitary hazards, including violations of this article, exist. When such a condition becomes known, the director may deny or immediately discontinue service to the premises by providing a physical break in the service line until the consumer has corrected the condition(s) in compliance with the city's ordinances relating to plumbing and water supplies.

(3)

The consumer shall install an approved backflow prevention assembly, if required by the director on each service line to his or her water system at or near the property line or at a location approved by the director;

(4)

If the consumer's premises have an auxiliary water supply which is not or may not be of safe bacteriological or chemical quality, the consumer shall protect the public water system against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line commensurate with the degree of hazard.

(5)

If any industrial fluid or any other objectionable substance, including process waters and waters originating from the city's system which have been or may have been subject to deterioration in quality, is handled on the consumer's premises in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard to the public water system, the consumer shall protect the public system against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line commensurate with the degree of hazard.

(6)

If the consumer's premises have internal cross-connections that cannot be permanently corrected or protected against, or intricate plumbing and piping arrangements or if entry to all portions of the premises is not readily accessible for inspection purposes, making it impracticable or impossible to ascertain whether or not dangerous cross-connections exist or may exist, the consumer shall protect the public water system against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line.

(7)

The owner of any nonresidential building greater than one (1) story elevation shall install, test, and maintain approved backflow devices at locations approved by the director.

(8)

The owner of any residential building structure greater than two-story elevation shall install, test and maintain approved backflow devices at locations approved by the director.

(9)

The consumer shall protect all boilers with an approved air-gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle device.

(10)

The consumer shall install, test, and maintain an approved backflow device on all bypass systems as required by the director.

(11)

The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where there is an auxiliary water supply with an approved air-gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.

(12)

The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where there is water or any substance that would be objectionable but may not be hazardous to health if introduced into the public water system, with an approved double check valve backflow prevention assembly.

(13)

The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where there is any material dangerous to health which is handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard with an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly. Examples of premises where these conditions exist include sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, chemical manufacturing plants, hospitals, mortuaries and plating plants.

(14)

The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where there are unprotected cross-connections, either actual or potential, with approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly at the service connections.

(15)

The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where, because of security requirements or other prohibition restrictions, it is impossible or impractical to make a complete in-plant cross-connection survey, against backflow from the premises with either an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly on each service to the premises.

(Ord. No. 8140. § 1, 3-20-03)