(A) City.
(1) For premises existing prior to the start of this program, the Water Department will perform evaluations and inspections of plans and/or premises and inform the owner by letter of any corrective action deemed necessary, the method of achieving the correction, and the time allowed for the correction to be made. Ordinarily, 90 days will be shortened depending upon the degree of hazard involved and the history of the device(s) in question.
(2) The Water Department will not allow any cross-connection to remain unless it is protected by an approved backflow preventer for which approval has been issued by the City Supervisor and which will be regularly tested to insure satisfactory operation.
(3) The Water Department shall inform the owner by letter of any failure to comply, within ten working days of the first inspection. The Water Department will allow an additional 15 days for correction. In the event the owner fails to comply with necessary correction by the time of the second re-inspection, the Water Department will inform the owner and occupant, if known, by letter that the water service to the premises will be terminated within a period not to exceed five days. In the event that the owner or occupant informs the Water Department of extenuating circumstances as to why the correction has not been made, a time extension may be granted by the Water Department, but in no case will exceed an additional 30 days.
(4) If the Water Department determines at any time that a serious threat to the public health exists, the water service will be terminated immediately.
(5) The Oregon Health Division has on file a list of private contractors who are certified backflow device testers. All charges for these tests will be paid by the owner of the building or property.
(6) The Water Department will begin initial premises inspections to determine the nature of existing or potential hazards during the fiscal year 1995 to 1996. Initial focus will be on high hazard industries and commercial premises.
(B) Owner.
(1) On new installations, the owner shall obtain a qualified plumber to provide on-site evaluation and/or inspection of plans in order to determine the type of backflow preventer, if any, that will be required. The owner’s plumber shall file the plumber’s recommendation with the City Supervisor. The owner’s plumber shall thereafter proceed with installation of the backflow preventer unless objection is given by the City Supervisor within two business days following the date of filing the recommendation. Following installation, the owner’s plumber shall perform inspection and testing.
(2) The owner shall be responsible for the elimination or isolation of all cross-connections on the owner’s premises.
(3) The owner, after having been informed by a letter from the Water Department, shall at the owner’s expense, install, maintain, and test, or have tested, any and all backflow preventers on the owner’s premises.
(4) The owner shall correct any malfunctions of the backflow preventer which is revealed by periodic testing.
(5) The owner shall inform the Water Department of any proposed or modified cross-connections and also any existing cross-connections of which the owner is aware of, but has not been found by the Water Department.
(6) The owner shall not install a by-pass around any backflow preventer unless there is a backflow preventer of the same type on the by-pass. Owners shall not tamper with backflow devices.
(7) The owner shall install backflow preventers in a manner approved by the Water Department.
(8) The owner shall install only backflow preventers approved by the Oregon Health Division.
(9) Any owner having a private well or other private water source, must have the City Supervisor’s written approval if the well or source is cross-connected to the Water Department’s system. Permission to cross-connect may be denied by the Water Department. The owner may be required to install a backflow preventer at the service entrance if a private water source is maintained, even if it is not cross-connected to the Water Department’s system.
(10) In the event the owner installs plumbing to provide potable water for domestic purposes which is on the Water Department’s side of the backflow preventer, such plumbing must have its own backflow preventer installed.
(Ord. 219, passed 6-5-1995)