(a) If, in the judgment of the Commissioner of Water, an approved backflow prevention device is necessary for the safety of the public water system, the Commissioner will give notice to the water consumer to install such an approved device immediately. The water consumer shall, at his or her own expense, install such an approved device at a location and in a manner approved by the Commissioner and shall have inspections and tests made of such approved devices as required by the Commissioner.
(b) No person, firm or corporation shall establish or permit to be established or maintain or permit to be maintained any connection whereby a private, auxiliary or emergency water supply other than the regular public water supply of the City of Cleveland may enter the supply or distributing system of said Municipality, unless such private, auxiliary or emergency water supply and the method of connection and use of such supply shall have been approved by the Commissioner of Water of the City of Cleveland and by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
(c) It shall be the duty of the Commissioner to cause surveys and investigations to be made of industrial and other properties served by the public water supply where actual or potential hazards to the public water supply may exist. Such surveys and investigations shall be made a matter of public record and shall be repeated as often as the Commissioner shall deem necessary.
(d) The Commissioner or his or her duly authorized representative shall have the right, after obtaining all necessary warrants, to enter at any reasonable time any property served by a connection to the public water supply or distributing system of the City of Cleveland for the purpose of inspecting the piping system or systems thereof. On demand, the owner, lessees or occupants of any property so served shall furnish to the Commissioner any information which he or she may request regarding the piping system or systems or water use on such property. The refusal of such information, when demanded, shall, within the discretion of the Commissioner, be deemed evidence of the presence of improper connections as provided for in this ordinance.
(e) The Commissioner is hereby authorized and directed to discontinue, after reasonable notice to the occupant thereof, the water service to any property wherein any connection in violation of the provisions of this ordinance is known to exist, and to take such other precautionary measures as he or she may deem necessary to eliminate any danger of contamination of the public water supply distribution mains. Water service to such property shall not be restored until such conditions shall have been eliminated or corrected in compliance with the provisions of this ordinance and until the occupant has received written approval from the Commissioner indicating that a proper prevention control device has been installed in accordance with this ordinance and all rules and regulations pertaining to same.
(f) The Director of Public Utilities is hereby authorized to promulgate all necessary rules and regulations as to the installation and maintenance of backflow prevention control devices. Said regulations shall at all times be on file in the offices of the Division of Water of the City of Cleveland and shall be available for inspection during regular business hours. All backflow prevention control devices required by this ordinance shall be installed in accordance with said regulations.
(Ord. No. 1069-80. Passed 11-10-80, eff. 11-14-80)