ARTICLE III. - CROSS CONNECTIONS AND BACKFLOW PREVENTION
Part of the Code of Ordinances of Minersville, UT.
The text
DIVISION 1. - GENERALLY#
Secs. 26-163—26-192. - Reserved.#
DIVISION 2. - ADMINISTRATION (RESERVED)#
Secs. 26-193—26-222. - Reserved.#
DIVISION 3. - CROSS CONNECTION#
Sec. 26-223. - Purpose.#
The purpose of this article is: (1)
To protect the safe drinking water supply of the town from the possibility of contamination or pollution by requiring compliance with state and local plumbing codes, health regulations, OSHA and other applicable industry standards for water system safety, including the Utah Public Drinking Water Rules, section R309-102-5, within the consumer's internal distribution system or private water system. Compliance with these minimum safety codes will be considered reasonable vigilance for prevention of contaminants or pollutants which could backflow into the public drinking water systems;
(2)
To promote reasonable elimination or control of cross connections in the plumbing fixtures and industrial piping systems of the consumer, as required by state and local plumbing codes, health regulations, OSHA and other applicable industry standards to ensure water system safety; and
(3)
To provide for the administration of a continuing program of backflow prevention which will systematically and effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of all drinking water systems.
(Ord. No. 96-01, § 1(14-311.1), 4-1-1996)
Sec. 26-224. - Responsibility—Drinking water purveyor.#
(a)
The town shall be responsible for the protection of the drinking water distribution system from 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 survey/inspections of the consumer's water distribution system shall be conducted or caused to be conducted by individuals deemed qualified by and representing the town. Survey records shall indicate compliance with the aforementioned health and safety standards. All such records will be maintained by the town.
(c)
The town shall schedule and notify, in writing, all consumers of the need for the periodic system survey to ensure 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. No. 96-01, § 1(14-311.2), 4-1-1996)
Sec. 26-225. - Responsibility—Consumer.#
(a)
To comply with this article as a term and condition of water supply and consumer's acceptance of service is admittance of his/her awareness of his/her responsibility as a water system user.
(b)
It shall be the responsibility of the consumer to purchase, install, test and arrange testing and maintenance of any backflow prevention device/assembly required to comply with this article. Failure to comply with this article shall constitute grounds for discontinuation of service.
(Ord. No. 96-01, § 1(14-311.3), 4-1-1996)
Sec. 26-226. - 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 developed 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 state plumbing code.
(c)
Water vacating the drinking water supply must do so via approved air gap or approved mechanical backflow prevention assembly, properly installed and in accordance with the state plumbing code.
(Ord. No. 96-01, § 1 (14-311.4), 4-1-1996)
Sec. 26-227. - Responsibility—Certified backflow technician, surveyor, or repair person.#
(a)
Whether employed by the consumer or a utility to survey, test, repair, or maintain backflow prevention assemblies, the certified backflow technicians, surveyors or repair persons will have the following responsibilities:
(1)
Ensuring that acceptable testing equipment and procedures are used for testing, repairing or overhauling backflow prevention assemblies;
(2)
Make reports of such testing and/or repair to the consumer and the water purveyor on forms approved for such use by the water purveyor within timeframes as described by the division of drinking water. The report shall include the list of materials or replacement parts used;
(3)
Ensuring replacement parts are equal in quality to parts originally supplied by the manufacturer of the assembly being repaired;
(4)
Not changing the design, material or operational characteristics of the assembly during testing, repair or maintenance;
(5)
A certified technician shall perform all tests of the mechanical devices/assemblies and be responsible for the competence and accuracy of all tests and reports;
(6)
Ensuring his/her license is current, the testing equipment being used is acceptable to the state, and is in proper operating condition;
(7)
Be equipped with, and be competent to use, all necessary tools, gauges, and other equipment necessary to properly test and maintain backflow prevention assemblies; and
(8)
The certified technician conducting the test must tag 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 technician's license number must also be on this tag.
(b)
In the case of a consumer requiring a commercially available technician, any certified technician is authorized to make the test and report the results of that test to the consumer and the water purveyor. If any commercially tested assembly is in need of repair the Construction Trade License Act, U.C.A. 1953, § 58-55-2(2), requires a licensed plumber to make actual repairs on any assembly within a building.
(Ord. No. 96-01, § 1 (14-311.5), 4-1-1996)
Sec. 26-228. - Definitions.#
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Approved backflow assembly means an assembly accepted by the state department of environmental quality, division of drinking water, as meeting an applicable specification or as suitable for the proposed use.
Auxiliary water supply means 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 such as a well, spring, river, stream, harbor, 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.
Backflow means the reversal of the normal flow of water caused by either backpressure or backsiphonage.
Backflow prevention assembly means an assembly or means designed to prevent backflow. Specifications for backflow prevention assemblies are contained within the Uniform Plumbing Code and the Cross Connection Control Program for Utah maintained by the division of drinking water.
Backpressure means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances from a region of high pressure to a region of lower pressure in the water distribution pipes of a potable water supply system from any source other than the intended source.
Backsiphonage 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 other than the intended source, caused by the reduction of pressure in tie potable water supply system.
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.
Cross connection means any physical connection or arrangement of piping or fixtures which may allow non-potable water or industrial fluids or other material of questionable quality to come in contact with potable water inside a distribution system. This would include any temporary connections, such as swing connections, removable four-way plug valves, spools, dummy sections of pipe, swivel or change-over devices or sliding multiport tubes or other plumbing arrangements.
Cross connection - controlled means a connection between a potable water system and a non-potable 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.
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 and permanently eliminate or control all actual or potential cross connections within the customer's water system. The term "cross connection - containment" 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).
Water purveyor means the person designated to be in charge of the town water department, 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 article.
(Ord. No. 96-01, § 2(14-312.1)—(14-312.11), 4-1-1996)
Secs. 26-229—26-249. - Reserved.#
DIVISION 4. - BACKFLOW PREVENTION#
Sec. 26-250. - Policy.#
(a)
No water service connection to any premises shall be installed or maintained by the public water purveyor unless the water supply is protected as required by state laws, regulations, codes, and this article. Service of water to a consumer found to be in violation of this article 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 article for control of backflow and cross connections is not installed, tested, and maintained;
(2)
If it is found that a backflow prevention assembly has been removed or bypassed;
(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 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 article, exist and to audit the results of the required survey (section 26-224(b)).
(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 requirement 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 the 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 tests at a more frequent interval. It shall be the duty of the public water 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 ten working days of initial installation.
(h)
No backflow prevention assembly shall be installed so as to create a safety hazard (e.g., installed over electrical panel, steam pipes, boilers, pits, or above ceiling level).
(Ord. No. 96-01, § 3(14-313.1.1)—(14-313.1.8), 4-1-1996)
Sec. 26-251. - Violations of this article.#
If violations of this article exist or if there has not been any corrective action taken by the consumer within ten days of the written notification of deficiencies noted within the survey, then the public 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 in conformance with the state and town statutes relating to plumbing, safe drinking water supplies and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
(Ord. No. 96-01, § 3(14-313.2), 4-1-1996)