For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
APPROVED. Accepted by the Director and/or State Health Division applicable specifications stated or cited in this subchapter or as suitable for the proposed use.
AUXILIARY WATER SUPPLY. Any water supply on or available to the premises other than the water purveyor's approved public water supply will be considered an AUXILIARY WATER SUPPLY. These AUXILIARY WATERS may include water from another purveyor's public potable water supply, or any natural source, such as a well, spring, river, stream, and the like, or used waters or industrial fluids. These waters may be contaminated or polluted or they may be objectionable and constitute an unacceptable water source over which the water purveyor does not have sanitary control.
BACKFLOW. The reversal of the normal flow of water caused by either backpressure or backsiphonage.
BACKFLOW PREVENTER. An assembly or means designed to prevent backflow.
(1) AIR-GAP. The unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet supplying water to a tank, plumbing, fixture, or other device and the flood level rim of said vessel. An approved AIR-GAP shall be at least double the diameter of the supply pipe, measured vertically, above the overflow rim of the vessel; and in no case less than one inch.
(2) REDUCED PRESSURE PRINCIPLE ASSEMBLY. An assembly of two independently acting, approved check valves together with a hydraulically operating, mechanically independent differential pressure relief valve, located between the check valves and at the same time below the first check valve. The unit shall include properly located resilient seated test cocks and tightly closing resilient seated shut-off valves at each end of the assembly. This assembly is designed to protect against a non-health hazard or a health hazard. The entire ASSEMBLY shall meet the design and performance specifications as determined by a laboratory and a field evaluation program resulting in an approval by a recognized and State Health Division-approved testing agency for backflow prevention assemblies. To be approved, these assemblies must be readily accessible for in-line testing and maintenance and be installed in a location where no part of the assembly will be submerged.
(3) DOUBLE CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY. An assembly of two independently operating, approved check valves with tightly closing shut-off valves on each end of the check valves, plus properly located test cocks for the testing of each check valve. The entire assembly shall meet design and performance specifications as determined by a laboratory and a field evaluation program resulting in an approval by a recognized and State Health Division-approved testing agency for backflow prevention assemblies. To be approved, these assemblies must be readily accessible for in-line testing and maintenance.
BACKPRESSURE. The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances, under pressure, into the distribution pipes of a potable water supply system from any source other than the intended source.
BACKSIPHONAGE. The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances into the distribution pipes of a potable water supply system from any source other than the intended source.
CONTAMINATION. An impairment of the quality of the potable water by sewage, industrial fluids, or waste fluids, compounds, or other materials, to a degree which creates an actual or potential hazard to public health through poisoning or through the spread of disease.
CROSS-CONNECTION. Any actual or potential physical connection or arrangement of piping or fixtures between two otherwise separate piping systems, one of which contains potable water and the other nonpotable water, or industrial fluids of questionable safety, through which, or because of which, backflow may occur into the potable water system. This would include any temporary connections, such as swing connections, removable sections, four-way plug valves, spools, dummy sections of pipe, swivels, or change-over devices or sliding multi-port tubes.
CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROLLED. A connection between a potable water system and a nonpotable water system with an approved backflow prevention assembly properly installed and maintained so that it will continuously afford the protection commensurate with the degree of hazard.
CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL BY PREMISES ISOLATION. The installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly at the water service connection to any customer's premises where it is not physically and economically feasible to find and permanently eliminate or control all actual or potential cross-connections within the customer's water system; or it shall mean the installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly on the service line leading to and supplying a portion of the customer's water system where there are actual or potential cross-connections which cannot be effectively eliminated or controlled at the point of the cross-connection.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS or DIRECTOR. The Director is authorized and is responsible for implementation of an effective cross-connection control program and for the enforcement of the provisions of this code.
DEGREE OF HAZARD. The term is derived from an evaluation of the potential risk to public health and the adverse effect of the hazard upon the potable water system.
(1) HEALTH HAZARD (CONTAINMENT). Any condition, device, or practice in the water system and its operation which could, in the judgment of the Director or designee, create a danger to the health and well-being of the water consumer.
(2) PLUMBING HAZARD. A plumbing type cross-connection in a consumer's potable water system that has not been properly protected by an approved air-gap or approved backflow prevention assembly.
(3) NON-HEALTH HAZARD (POLLUTIONAL HAZARD). An actual or potential threat to the physical properties of the water system or to the potability of the public or the consumer's water system that would constitute a nuisance, be aesthetically objectionable, or could cause damage to the system or its appurtenances, but would not be dangerous to health.
(4) SYSTEM HAZARD. An actual or potential threat of severe physical damage to the public potable water system or the consumer's potable water system or of a pollution or contamination which would have a protracted effect on the quality of the potable water in the system.
INDUSTRIAL FLUIDS SYSTEM. Any system containing a fluid or solution which may be chemically, biologically, or otherwise contaminated or polluted in a form or concentration that would constitute a health, system, pollutant, or plumbing hazard if introduced into an approved water supply. This may include, but not be limited to: polluted or contaminated waters; all types of process waters and used waters originating from the public potable water system which may have deteriorated in sanitary quality; chemicals in fluid form; plating acids and alkalis; circulating cooling waters connected to an open cooling tower and/or towers that are chemically or biologically treated or stabilized with toxic substances; contaminated natural waters such as from wells, springs, streams, rivers, irrigation canals, or systems, and the like; oils, gases, glycerin, paraffins, caustic and acid solutions; and other liquid and gaseous fluids used in industrial or other purposes or for firefighting purposes.
POLLUTION. The presence of any foreign substance (organic, inorganic, or biological) in water which tends to degrade its quality so as to constitute a hazard or impair the usefulness or quality of the water to a degree which does not create an actual hazard to the public health but which does adversely and unreasonably affect such waters for domestic use.
WATER, NONPOTABLE. Water that is not safe for human consumption or is of questionable potability.
WATER, POTABLE. Water that, according to recognized standards, is safe for human consumption.
WATER, SERVICE CONNECTION. The terminal end of a service connection from the public potable water system (i.e., where the water purveyor loses jurisdiction and sanitary control over the water at its point of delivery to the customer's water system). If a meter is installed at the end of the service connection, then the SERVICE CONNECTION shall mean the downstream end of the meter. There should be no unprotected takeoffs from the service line ahead of any meter or any backflow prevention assembly located at the point of delivery to the customer's water system. SERVICE CONNECTION shall also include water service connection from a fire hydrant and all other temporary or emergency water service connections from the public potable water system.
WATER, USED. Any water supplied by a water purveyor from a public potable water system to a consumer's water system after it has passed through the point of delivery and is no longer under the sanitary control of the water purveyor.
(Prior Code, § 4.110) (Ord. 2022-04, passed 9-12-2022)