(A) Purpose.
(1) To provide for the protection of the public potable water system from the possibility of contamination or pollution by isolating within its water customers' private water systems any contaminants or pollutants which could, under adverse conditions, backflow into the public potable water system.
(2) To provide for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control which will, effectively, prevent or control existing or potential cross connections.
(B) Authority.
(1) The Utility has the responsibility to supply safe, potable water to the point of delivery from the public potable water system to the water customer's service line. The Utility, therefore, has the authority to prevent, by appropriate means, the backflow of contaminated or polluted water or any other foreign substance from entering the public potable water system and to require certain backflow prevention assemblies in private customer water systems to prevent backflow into the public potable water system.
(2) Public Health agencies have the overall responsibility to protect the health of individuals within their jurisdiction. Therefore, relevant regulations have been promulgated, empowering the health agency to eliminate dangerous plumbing or piping.
(3) Water customers have the responsibility to test and maintain their respective private customer water systems free of cross connections and to comply with all federal, state, county and city laws, ordinances and regulations pertaining to cross connections.
(4) The Utility shall be the interpreter of this chapter and the arbiter and judge as to whether a backflow prevention assembly is required. If such a backflow prevention assembly is required, the Utility shall determine the type and the location of the assembly.
(5) This chapter is intended to supplement the Indiana Plumbing Code, 675 IAC 16-1.4 and 327 IAC 8-10 and shall not be construed to supersede any of the foregoing provisions.
(C) Policy. The policy of the Utility is to control backflow by containment of all cross connections which shall be found to exist or which may be installed in the future on private customer water systems. Containment shall be achieved by:
(1) Assuring that the customer water system, or any portion thereof, which may create or is causing backflow, is physically disconnected from the public potable water system; or by
(2) Installing an approved backflow prevention assembly at the appropriate location to isolate said customer water system from the public potable water system.
(D) Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
AIR GAP. an unobstructed vertical distance through atmosphere between the discharge end of a pipeline supplied from a public water supply and the overflow rim of the receiving portion of the customer water system.
APPROVED BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLY. an assembly that is in accordance with 327 IAC 8-10-7(b).
BACKFLOW. The flow of water or contaminants into the public potable water system from a source other than the public water supply.
CROSS CONNECTION. Any physical arrangement, including cross connection control devices not in working order, whereby the public potable water system is directly connected, either continuously or intermittently, with any secondary source of supply, sewer, drain, conduit, pool, piping, storage reservoir, plumbing fixture, or other device that contains, or may contain, and is capable of imparting to the public water supply, contaminants, contaminated water, sewage, or other waste or liquid of unknown or unsafe quality.
CROSS CONNECTION CONTROL DEVICE INSPECTOR. A person that meets the definition of 327 IAC 8-10-1(8).
CONTAINMENT. A method of backflow prevention which requires an approved backflow prevention assembly at the water service entrance.
CUSTOMER WATER SYSTEM. All piping, fixtures, and appurtenances, including secondary sources of supply, used by a customer to convey water on his or her premises.
DEGREE OF HAZARD (POLLUTANT OR CONTAMINANT). Either a "low hazard pollutant" which is only aesthetically objectionable (i.e., unusual taste, odor, beverages, and the like) or a "high hazard contaminant" that could cause illness or death if ingested (i.e., bacteriological, toxic chemicals, radioactive materials, and the like).
DOUBLE CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY. A device or assembly composed of two tightly closing shutoff valves surrounding two independently acting check valves, with four test cocks, one upstream of the four valves and one between each of the four check and shutoff valves.
HEALTH AGENCY. The health authority having jurisdiction; federal, state or local.
POINT OF DELIVERY. See SERVICE CONNECTION.
PRIVATE FIRE SERVICE. Refers to a privately owned arrangement of pipes, fixtures and devices installed for the purpose of providing fire protection/suppression service at a private property over and above that provided by the public fire protection system, from which water is taken only for the extinguishment of fires.
PUBLIC POTABLE WATER SYSTEM. A public water supply for the provision to the public of water for human consumption through pipes or other constructed conveyances.
REDUCED PRESSURE PRINCIPLE BACKFLOW PREVENTER. A device composed of two tightly closing shutoff valves surrounding two independently acting pressure reducing check valves that, in turn, surround an automatic pressure differential relief valve, and four test cocks, one upstream of the five valves and one between each of the four check and shutoff valves. The check valves effectively divide the structure into three chambers. Pressure is reduced in each downstream chamber allowing the pressure differential relief valve to vent the center chamber to atmosphere should either or both check valves malfunction.
SERVICE CONNECTION. The terminal end of a service connection from the public potable water system, i.e., where the Utility loses jurisdiction and sanitary control over the water at its point of delivery to the customer water system.
TESTING RESULTS. The results of inspections or tests conducted pursuant to section 327 IAC 8-10-8(b) on air gaps, reduced pressure principle back-flow preventers, double check valve assemblies, and pressure vacuum breakers.
TEMPORARY WATER SERVICE. Water service supplied through a fire hydrant for short-term use, typically for construction projects or other special purposes (excluding preparation of food and drink for human consumption), for which a mobile or stationary meter is required.
UTILITY. Fort Wayne City Utilities, operator of the City of Fort Wayne's public potable water system.
WATER CUSTOMER. Any person who receives water from the City of Fort Wayne.
(Ord. G-6-18, passed 3-27-18)