A. Policy:
1. No water service connection to any premises or facility 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 chapter. Service of water to a consumer found to be in violation of this chapter shall be discontinued by the water purveyor after written notification of the violation and an appropriate time allowed for voluntary compliance, if:
a. A backflow prevention assembly required by this chapter for control of backflow and cross connections is not installed, tested and maintained; or
b. It is determined that a backflow prevention assembly has been removed or bypassed; or
c. An unprotected cross connection exists; or
d. If the periodic system survey has not been conducted.
Service will not be restored until such conditions or defects are corrected.
2. All water consumer systems shall be open for inspection at all reasonable times to authorized representatives of the town to determine whether cross connections or other structural or sanitary hazards, including violations of this chapter, exist and to audit the results of the system survey.
3. Whenever the town determines that a water consumer's service connection or water usage contributes a sufficient hazard to the town water supply or any other water consumer's water supply, an approved backflow prevention assembly shall be installed on the service line of the identified consumer's water line or system, at or near said consumer's property line, or immediately inside the building, structure or facility being served; but, in all cases, said assembly shall be installed before the first branch line leading off the service line.
4. The type of protective assembly required under the foregoing subsection 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 system survey.
5. All presently installed backflow prevention assemblies which do not meet the requirements of this section but which were assemblies approved 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 the foregoing subsections, be excluded from the requirements of these rules so long as the water purveyor is satisfied that they will satisfactorily protect the town water system and water supply. Whenever an existing assembly is moved from its present location or requires more than minimum maintenance, or when the water purveyor finds that the operation or maintenance of any assembly constitutes a hazard to health, said assembly shall be replaced by an approved backflow prevention assembly meeting all applicable local and state requirements.
6. It shall be the responsibility of the water consumer at any premises or facility where backflow prevention assemblies are installed to have certified surveys/inspections and operational tests conducted at least once per year at said consumer's expense. In any instance where the water purveyor discovers a hazard or threat to the town water system or water supply, he may require certified surveys/inspections and tests at a more frequent interval. It shall be the duty of the water purveyor to see that such tests are conducted in accordance with the standards set forth by the state department of health, bureau of drinking water/sanitation.
7. All backflow prevention assemblies shall be tested within ten (10) working days of initial installation.
8. No backflow prevention assembly shall be installed so as to create a safety hazard (e.g., installed over an electrical panel, steam pipes, boilers, pits or above ceiling level).
B. If violations of this chapter exist, or if no required corrective action has been taken by any water consumer within ten (10) days of written notification of deficiencies noted within the system survey, then the water purveyor shall deny or immediately discontinue service to the water consumer's premises or facility until said consumer has corrected the deficient condition in conformance with the state and town statutes, regulations, guidelines and ordinances relating to plumbing and safe drinking water supplies. (Ord. 1991-O-1, 3-14-1991)