(A) No part of the HRW's water system shall be connected to any source of water supply other than those authorized by official action of the County Board of Commissioners. If, on any premises, both HRW water and water from any other source is used, the piping shall be completely separate. Pipes carrying water from a source other than HRW's supply shall be painted yellow. It shall be unlawful for any person to cause a cross-connection, auxiliary intake, or interconnection to be made with the public water supply; or allow one to exist for any purpose whatsoever.
(B) HRW has the responsibility to inspect properties served by the public water supply where cross-connections with the public water supply are deemed possible. The frequency of these inspections shall be set by the department. HRW shall have the right to enter, at reasonable time, any nonresidential property served by a connection to the public water supply for the purpose of conducting these inspections. In those cases in which the property owner chooses not to provide such access, HRW may designate the location as a high hazard in accordance with the divisions below.
(C) The following uses shall be classified as hazardous uses:
(1) Hazardous uses include, but are not limited to: pumps or tanks handling sewage, radioactive, lethal, or toxic substances, boiler and steam connections, sewer waste lines, low inlets to receptacles containing toxic substances, coils or jackets used as heat exchangers, flush valve toilets without vacuum breaks, bacterial and viral materials, private wells or other private water supply, irrigation systems, water systems or hose connections, booster pumps, carbonation equipment, or similar hazard potential as determined by the department.
(2) Any location at which the nature or mode of operation within a premise are such that frequent alterations are made to the plumbing or at which there is a likelihood in the determination of the department that protective measures may be subverted, altered, or disconnected.
(3) Any facility which contains, but is not limited to, a bottling plant, cannery, a building having five or more stories, battery manufacturer, exterminator, greenhouse, chemical processing plant, dairy, dye works, film laboratory, car wash, hospital, commercial laboratory, laundry, metal fabrication operation, mortuary, swimming pool, morgue, x-ray equipment, medical office with laboratory, aspirator, medical washing equipment, packing house, plating plant, poultry house, power plant, nuclear reactor, pumped fire sprinkler or riser system or those equipped with facilities for the introduction of freeze preventive chemicals or other substances other than water.
(D) All installations described in the above divisions (C)(1) through (C)(3) shall be deemed hazardous uses, and must have a containment device in the form of a reduced pressure zone backflow prevention device provided that, if the consumer demonstrates to the satisfaction of HRW that sufficient internal confinement devices have been installed and tested. The department may require that the consumer provide engineering drawings sealed by a professional engineer of installations within the premises, which provide complete internal protection against cross-connection as approved by the department. Any such connection shall be considered another connection for the purpose of determining the type of containment device required. Each internal confinement device shall be one of the following, as approved by HRW or their authorized representative: reduced pressure zone principle backflow prevention device, double check valve backflow prevention device, air gap, vacuum break-pressure type, or dual check valve. Each reduced pressure zone principle backflow prevention device serving as an internal confinement device shall have a mesh strainer immediately upstream of the inlet gate valve.
(E) Services to single-family residential units, not otherwise required by this chapter to have other containment devices, may have a containment device in the form of a dual check valve. HRW supplies this dual check valve when residential connections are installed. On all other services which other containment devices are required the owner’s representative shall be required to install these devices prior to the installation of a meter by HRW. On all such services for which meters have been applied prior to the adoption of this chapter, said dual check valve shall be installed by HRW, provided that the department reserves the right to charge the owner or occupant of any residence for the cost of said device and its installation. Maintenance of dual check valve containment devices installed in accordance with this section shall be conducted by the department.
(F) All other connections to the public water supply of HRW shall have containment devices in the form of double check valve backflow prevention devices as set forth in the following division. This shall include water mains installed by HRW, including, but not limited to, mobile home parks, apartments, group housing projects, and other private distribution systems, or similar hazard potential as determined by HRW or their authorized representative.
(G) All containment devices shall be installed according to the following procedure:
(1) The containment devices shall be located off street right-of-way on the water main side of any plumbing connection. When installed in a building, the device shall be located on the service line immediately after its entrance into the building. Each containment and confinement device shall be installed in a location which is physically accessible for inspection and testing as determined by HRW. Containment devices which have been buried in the ground do not satisfy the provisions of this chapter. Each reduced pressure principle zone device shall be installed such that flooding of the device is unlikely as determined by the department.
(2) HRW shall maintain a list of approved manufacturers and models of hazard containment devices and drawings of standard installations, copies to be made available through the administration office of the department. All installations and materials shall conform to HRW standards.
(3) In those cases in which containment and/or confinement devices have been previously installed by any party, the responsibility for maintenance, testing, and replacement as applicable shall be with the consumer.
(4) The cost of said means of containment, and any other plumbing modifications necessary and convenient thereto, and the testing and maintenance thereof, is to be paid for by the consumer.
(H) Upon identification of a hazard, or hazard potential, as defined in this section, HCDPU shall notify the consumer of record, via certified mail with return receipt requested, of the property on which the hazard exists of the following:
(1) Location of the hazard;
(2) Nature of the hazard observed;
(3) Date of the hazard observed;
(4) Applicable section of the chapter; and
(5) Requirements of the chapter.
Such notification will be made by certified mail, with return receipt requested.
(I) HRW shall be notified by the consumer when the nature of use of the property changes so as to change the hazard classification of that property, as set forth in this chapter.
(J) The consumer at each property at which containment and/or confinement device(s) have been installed shall have each containment or confinement device(s) tested on an annual basis, and perform any routine maintenance to such device as recommended by the manufacturer, and provide the department with a report of that inspection and work. The consumer shall cause such maintenance or repairs to be made, rendering the device fully operational. Failure of the consumer to perform that testing and maintenance shall cause for the premises to be deemed an immediate public health hazard. HRW may immediately thereafter discontinue public water supply service to that premises and service shall not be restored until such devices have been rendered fully operational. Where the use of water is critical to the continuance of normal operations or protection of life, property, and equipment, duplicate containment or confinement devices shall be provided by the property owner to avoid the necessity of discontinuing water service to test or repair the device(s).
(K) Consumer responsibilities under this section include the following:
(1) The consumer shall, as required in this chapter and upon notification, install the hazard containment device(s) as required within 90 days of the date of notification.
(2) If, after expiration of 90 days, the containment device(s) has not been installed in conformance with the standards set forth in this chapter and by the department, in proper working condition, the department may discontinue the public water supply at that premises, and service shall not be restored until such devices have been installed. The department may permit an extension of up to 90 additional days if compliance efforts are underway and the existence of hardship can be determined.
(3) HRW shall bear no liability for direct or consequential damages caused by the discontinuance of service pursuant to this chapter.
(Ord. passed 6-30-2015; Ord. passed 7-16-2018; Ord. passed 6-15-2020; Ord. passed 11-16-2020)
Penalty, see § 10.99