(A) Purpose and authority.
(1) It is the purpose of this section to establish a program to assure that the public water supply is protected from any auxiliary water supply which may cause contamination due to backflow or cross connections. The city recognizes that contamination of the public water supply presents an imminent health hazard to the residential and non-residential users of the public water system, the threat of significant economic loss due to disrupted water service to such residential and nonresidential water users, and potential liability to the city.
(2) It is the further purpose of this section to meet the requirements of 401 KAR 8:020 as enacted by the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.
(3) This section is enacted under the power vested in the city by KRS 82.082.
(B) Definitions.
AUXILIARY WATER SUPPLY. Any water supply on or available to the premises other than the city's public water supply. These auxiliary waters may include water from any natural source such as a well, spring, river, stream or body of water or any water or other substance of unknown or questionable quality that may present a health or system hazard to the potable public water supply.
BACKFLOW. The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances into the distributing pipes of a potable supply of water from any source or sources other than its intended source. Back siphonage is one type of backflow.
BACKFLOW PREVENTOR. A device or means to prevent backflow. A listing of acceptable backflow prevention assemblies and degree of hazard is available in the Kentucky State Plumbing Law, Regulations and Code.
CONTAMINATION. An impairment of the quality of the potable water supply by any waste product, fluid, substance, compound or other material to a degree which creates an actual or potential hazard to the public health through poisoning or through the spread of disease.
CROSS CONNECTION. Any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise separate piping system, one of which contains potable water and the other being either water of unknown or questionable safety or steam, gas, or chemicals whereby there may be flow from one system to the other, the direction of flow depending on the pressure differential between the two systems.
THERMAL EXPANSION TANK. A device installed on the cold water supply line near a water heater to compensate for the expansion of water within a water system when such water is heated.
(C) Requirements. The city shall provide protection to the public water system against backflow by implementing the following requirements.
(1) Residential. Buildings used for habitation or occupancy shall be considered residential buildings. No new water service connection to any premises shall be installed or allowed to be installed by the city unless such service connection is protected by a backflow prevention assembly. Residential service connections shall be considered low hazard applications, and all such connections shall have at a minimum a dual check valve backflow preventer installed between the water meter and the residence. The city may require additional or alternate backflow prevention assemblies if the degree of hazard constitutes a higher level of protection for the public water system.
(2) Non-residential. No new water service connection to any non-residential facility shall be installed or allowed to be installed by the city unless such water service connection is protected by a backflow prevention assembly. The type of protective device required shall be determined at the time of installation of the service connection and shall be commensurate with the degree of hazard at the point of such service connection. At a minimum the service connection shall be installed with a dual check valve backflow preventer. In the event activities do occur within a non-residential facility change and creates a higher degree of hazard, then the backflow prevention assembly shall be replaced with an assembly which provides acceptable protection.
(3) Inspections. The customer's water system shall be open for inspection at all reasonable times to authorized representatives of the city to determine whether cross connections or other structural or sanitary hazards, including violation of this section, exist, when such a condition becomes known, the city 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 city laws relating to plumbing, water supplies and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto. Water service to any premises shall be discontinued if it is found that a backflow prevention assembly required by this section 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.
(D) Existing service connection. All existing water service connections which do not have backflow prevention assemblies or existing water service connections which have less than the minimum required backflow prevention assemblies, shall, except for the inspection requirements, be excluded from the requirements of this section so long as the city is assured that the public water system is satisfactorily protected. However, if the city determines that a hazard to health exists, then a backflow prevention assembly meeting the requirements of this section may be installed on such existing service connection. Backflow prevention assemblies shall not be installed on existing service connections until after the property owner of such residential or commercial property has been informed of the actual and potential hazards that may be created as a result of such backflow assembly installation.
(Ord. 15-04, passed 5-5-15)