(A) Purpose.
(1) To protect the public potable water supply served by the City Public Works Department from the possibility of contamination or pollution by isolating, within its customer’s internal distribution system, the contaminants or pollutants which could backflow or backsiphon into the public water system;
(2) To promote the elimination of, or control of, existing cross-connections, actual or potential, between the potable water system and source, or non-potable water or other hazardous substances; and
(3) To provide for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control which will effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of all potable water systems by cross-connections.
(B) Authority.
(1) The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, being 42 U.S.C. §§ 300f et seq., the statutes of the state, including, but not limited to, the State Drinking Water Quality Act of 1981, being O.R.S. 448.119 et seq., and Oregon Administrative Rules encompassed by O.A.R. 333-061-0005 through 333-061-0098, give the water supplier the primary responsibility of preventing water from unapproved sources, or any other substances, from entering the public potable water system; and
(C) Responsibility.
(1) Water suppliers are responsible for taking all reasonable precautions to assure that the water delivered to water users does not exceed maximum contaminant levels, to assure that water system facilities are free of public health hazards, and to assure that water system operation and maintenance are performed as required. In order to prevent contamination or pollution of the city water system due to the backflow or backsiphonage of contaminants or pollutants through the water service connections, all owners and water users shall be responsible for installing, maintaining, repairing, inspecting, and testing approved backflow preventer devices on all water service connections or at any other connection where a cross-connection is possible in the judgment of the Administrator or the cross-connection control staff.
(2) The owner or water user shall, within 90 days of notification, install and have tested by a certified tester an approved backflow preventer device(s) for all new and existing water service connections. All backflow preventer devices shall be inspected and tested once per year, or more frequently as determined by the Administrator or the cross-connection control staff, by a certified inspector and tester. All installations, inspections, testing, maintenance, and repairs shall be at the expense of the owner or water user. In the event of an emergency where the imminent contamination of the water supply is possible, the cross-connection control staff may make any repairs to a device as are necessary, and the owner or water user shall be responsible for paying for any parts.
(3) Failure, refusal, or inability on the part of the owner or water user to install, have tested and inspected, and maintain the device or devices within 90 days of notification shall constitute grounds for summary discontinuation of water service to the premises until the device has been properly installed, inspected, tested, and/or maintained.
(Prior Code, § 52.01) (Ord. 97-464, passed 3-3-1997; Ord. 476, passed 1-10-2000)