(A) Determining degree of hazard. No service shall be completed until the Backflow Administrator has been provided information or has surveyed the private water system to determine the degree of hazard and make a determination of a backflow prevention assembly to be installed to protect the public water supply.
(1) Any customer making any modification to the private system's configuration or use of, which may change the degree of hazard, shall notify the Backflow Administrator before any modification is made. If the Backflow Administrator determines that such modification requires a different backflow prevention assembly, it must be installed before the modification is made.
(2) The following types of facilities or services have been identified by the City of Albemarle Public Utilities Department as having a potential for backflow or non-potable water into the public water supply system. Therefore, an approved backflow prevention assembly will be required on all such services according to the degree of hazard present. Other types of facilities or services not listed below may also be required to install approved backflow prevention assemblies if determined necessary by the City of Albemarle Backflow Administrator.
DCVA = Double Check Valve Assembly
RP = Reduced Pressure Principle Assembly
DCDA = Double Check Detector Assembly
RPDA = Reduced Pressure Detector Assembly
AG = Air Gap
PVB = Pressure Vacuum Breaker
(a) Aircraft and missile plants: RP
(b) Automotive service station, dealerships, etc:
1. No health hazard: DCVA
2. Health hazard: RP
(c) Automotive plants: RP
(d) Auxiliary water systems:
1. Approved public/private water supply: DCVA
2. Unapproved public/private water supply: AG
3. Used water and industrial fluids: RP
(e) Bakeries:
1. No health hazard: DCVA
2. Health hazard: RP
(f) Beauty shops/barber shops.
1. No health hazard: DCVA
2. Health hazard: RP
(g) Beverage bottling plants: RP
(g) Breweries: RP
(h) Buildings - hotels, apartment houses, public and private buildings, or other structures having unprotected cross connections.
1. (Under five stories) No health hazard: DCVA
2. (Under five stories) Health hazard: RP
3. (Over five stories) All: RP
(i) Canneries, packing houses, and rendering plants: RP
(j) Chemical plants - industrial, processing, compounding or treatment: RP
(k) Chemically contaminated water system: RP
(l) Commercial car-wash facilities: RP
(m) Commercial greenhouses: RP
(n) Individual commercial sales establishments (department stores)
1. No health hazards: DCVA
2. Health hazard: RP
(o) Concrete/asphalt plants: RP
(p) Dairies and cold storage plants: RP
(q) Dye works: RP
(r) Film laboratories: RP
(s) Fire systems
1. No health hazard: DCDA
2. Health hazard: (booster pumps, foams, antifreeze solution, etc.): RPDA
(t) Hospitals, medical buildings, sanitarium, morgues, mortuaries, autopsy facilities, nursing and convalescent homes, medical clinics, and veterinary hospitals: RP
(u) Industrial facilities: RP
(v) Laundries: RP
(w) Lawn irrigation systems: RP
(x) Malls or strip malls (Frequent tenant change and photo labs, etc.)
1. Health hazard: RP
(y) Metal manufacturing, cleaning processing, and fabricating plants: RP
(z) Mobile home parks:
1. No health hazard: DCVA
2. Health hazard: RP
(aa) Oil and gas production, storage or transmission properties: RP
(bb) Paper and paper products plants: RP
(cc) Pest control (exterminating and fumigating): RP
(dd) Plating plants: RP
(ee) Power plants: RP
(ff) Radioactive materials or substances - plants or facilities handling: RP
(gg) Restaurants: RP
(hh) Restricted, classified, or other closed facilities: RP
(ii) Rubber plants (natural or synthetic): RP
(jj) Sand and gravel plants: RP
(kk) Schools, and colleges: RP
(ll) Sewage and storm drain facilities: RP
(mm) Public swimming pools: RP
All assemblies an installations shall be subject to inspection and approval by the City of Albemarle Public Utilities Department.
(3) Filling of tanks/tankers or any other container from a City of Albemarle owned fire hydrant is strictly prohibited unless it has been equipped with the proper meter and backflow protection. Any unauthorized connection to a fire hydrant is considered an illegal cross-connection to the public water system and will be subject to fines and or imprisonment. City of Albemarle Fire Department and Stanly County Volunteer Fire Departments are exempt from this rule due to emergency or training requirements.
(4) If a cross-connection control inspector is unable to survey any portion of a private water system to determine the degree of hazard, due to confidential activities, a reduced pressure zone assembly will be required.
(B) Low hazard.
(1) All single-family residential homes will be considered a low hazard and shall have a minimum of a check valve device installed at the meter service.
(2) If no other backflow prevention assembly is specified a double check valve assembly must be installed on all private water systems.
(C) Imminent hazard.
(1) If it has been determined a customer's private water system has an imminent hazard; such customer must install a backflow prevention assembly specified by the Backflow Administrator and this chapter. This assembly must be installed within twenty-four (24) hours of notification from the Administrator. If the customer fails to install the specified assembly within the allowed time limit, water service to the customer's private water system will be terminated and may be subject to specified civil penalties. In the event the Backflow Administrator is unable to notify the customer in twenty-four (24) hours of determining an imminent hazard existing, the Administrator may terminate water service until the specified assembly is installed. These actions may be carried out under the Safe Drinking Water Act (Title XIV Section 1431) and the N.C. State Plumbing Code (appendix D104.2.6).
(2) Only a backflow prevention assembly offering a greater degree of protection may be installed in place of a specified assembly required by this chapter.
(Ord. 07-25, passed 9-4-07)