(A) A CROSS CONNECTION shall be defined as any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise separate systems, one of which contains potable water from the city’s water system, and the other, water from a private source, water of unknown or questionable safety, or steam, gases, or chemicals, whereby there may be a flow from one system to the other, the direction of flow depending on the pressure differential between the two systems.
(B) No person, firm, or corporation shall establish or permit to be established or maintain or permit to be maintained any cross connection. No interconnection shall be established whereby potable water from a private, auxiliary, or emergency water supply other than the regular public water supply of the city may enter the supply or distribution 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 City Utilities and by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in accordance with 327 IAC 8-10.
(C) It shall be the duty of the Board of Works and the City Utilities to cause inspections to be made of all properties served by the public water system where cross connections with the public water system is deemed possible. The frequency of inspections and re-inspections based on potential health hazards involved shall be established by the Board of Works and the City Utilities.
(D) Upon presentation of credentials, the representative of the City Utilities shall have the right to request entry at any reasonable time to examine the property served by a connection to the public water system of the city for cross connections. On request, the owner, lessee, or occupant of any property so served shall furnish to the inspection agency any pertinent information regarding the piping system or systems on such property. The refusal of access or refusal of requested pertinent information shall be deemed evidence of the presence of cross connections.
(E) The City Utilities is hereby authorized and directed to discontinue water service to any property wherein any connection in violation of this section exists, and to take such other precautionary measures deemed necessary to eliminate any danger of contamination of the public water system. Water service shall be discontinued only after reasonable notice is served on the owner, lessee, or occupants of the property or premises where a violation is found or suspected to exist. Water service to such property shall not be restored until the cross connection(s) has been eliminated in compliance with the provisions of this section.
(F) If it is deemed by the City Utilities that a cross connection or an emergency endangers public health, safety, or welfare and requires immediate action, and a written finding to that effect is filed with the Clerk of the city and delivered to the consumer's premises, service may be immediately discontinued. The consumer shall have an opportunity for hearing within ten days of such emergency discontinuance.
(G) All consumers using toxic or hazardous liquids, all hospitals, mortuaries, wastewater treatment plants, laboratories, and all other hazardous users install and maintain a reduced pressure principal backflow preventer in the main water line serving each building on the premises. The backflow preventer must be installed in an easily accessible location not subject to flooding or freezing.
(H) The reduced pressure principle backflow preventers shall not be installed below ground level.
(I) This section does not supersede the Indiana Plumbing Code, or the IDEM Rule 327 IAC 8-10, but is supplementary to them.
(J) If, in the judgment of the Superintendent of Water, an approved backflow prevention device is necessary for the safety of the public water system, the Superintendent of Water will give notice to the water consumer to install such an approved device immediately. The water consumer shall, at his own expense, install such an approved device at a location and in a manner approved by the Superintendent of Water and shall have inspections and tests made of such approved devices as required by the Superintendent of Water and in accordance with the IDEM Rule 327 IAC 8-10.
(Ord. 5349, passed 3-5-12)