(A) Code compliance required. All plumbing installed within the village shall be installed in accordance with the Illinois Plumbing Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 890. If, in accordance with the Illinois Plumbing Code or in the judgment of the Commissioner of Public Property or the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, an approved backflow prevention device is necessary for the safety of the public water supply system, the Commissioner of Public Property will give notice to the water customer to install such an approved device immediately. The water customer shall, at his or her own expense, install such an approved device at a location and in a manner in accordance with the Illinois Plumbing Code and all applicable local regulations, and shall have inspections and tests made of such approved devices upon installation and as required by the Illinois Plumbing Code and local regulations.
(B) Unapproved water source prohibited. No person, firm or corporation shall establish or permit to be established or maintain or permit to be maintained any connection whereby a private, auxiliary or emergency water supply other than the regular public water supply of the village enter the supply or distribution system of the municipality, unless the private, auxiliary or emergency water supply and the method of connection and use of such supply shall have been approved by the Commissioner of Public Property and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
(C) Compliance surveys. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Public Property to cause surveys and investigations to be made of industrial and other properties served by the public water supply to determine whether actual or potential hazards to the public water supply may exist. Such surveys and investigations shall be made a matter of public record and shall be repeated at least every two years, or as often as the Commissioner of Public Property shall deem necessary. Records of such surveys shall be maintained and available for review for a period of at least five years.
(D) Inspections. The approved cross-connection control device inspector shall have the right to enter at any reasonable time any property served by a connection to the public water supply or distribution system of the village for the purpose of verifying the presence or absence of cross-connections, and that the Commissioner of Public Property or his or her authorized agent shall have the right to enter at any reasonable time any property served by a connection to the public water supply or distribution system of the village for the purpose of verifying information submitted by the customer regarding the required cross-connection control inspection. On demand the owner, lessees or occupants of any property to [be] served shall furnish to the Commissioner of Public Property any information which he or she may request regarding the piping system or systems or water use on the property. The refusal of such information, when demanded, shall, within the discretion of the Commissioner of Public property, be deemed evidence of the presence of improper connections as provided in this section.
(E) Disconnections from service. The Commissioner of Public Property of the village is hereby authorized and directed to discontinue, after reasonable notice to the occupant thereof, the water service to any property wherein any connection in violation of the provisions of this section is known to exist, and to take such other precautionary measures as he or she may deem necessary to eliminate any danger of contamination of the public water supply distribution mains. Water service to the property shall not be restored until such conditions have been eliminated or corrected in compliance with the provisions of this section, and until a reconnection fee of $100 is paid to the Village of Gardner. Immediate disconnection with verbal notice can be effected when the Commissioner of Public Property is assured that imminent danger of harmful contamination of the public water supply system exists. This action shall be followed by written notification of the cause of disconnection. Immediate disconnection without notice to any party can be effected to prevent actual or anticipated contamination or pollution of the public water supply; provided that, in the reasonable opinion of the Commissioner of Public Property, or its agents or assigns shall be liable to any customer for any injury, damages or lost revenues which may result from termination of the customer’s water supply in accordance with the terms of this section, whether or not the termination was with or without notice.
(F) System damages. Any person responsible for damages to the potable water supply of the village caused by backsiphoned material or contaminations through backflow arising from an illegal cross-connection or an improperly installed, maintained or repaired cross-connection device, or a bypassed cross-connection device, shall pay such reasonable costs of repair and clean-up to the system as shall be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(G) Regulations. The regulations included as Appendix A to this chapter shall be considered a part of this section.
(Ord. G-118, passed 1-25-1988)