The Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission (675 IAC, Article 16, Rule 1.2 of the Indiana Plumbing Code), requires protection of the public water supply from contaminants due to backnow through connections to fire protection and standpipe systems. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management authorizes the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control that will systematically and effectively prevent the contamination of all potable water systems;
1. A cross connection shall be defined as any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise separate systems, one of which contains potable water from the City of Linton water system, and the other, water from a private source, water of unknown or questionable safety, or steam, gases, or chemicals, whereby there may be a flow from one system to the other, the direction of flow depending on the pressure differential between the two systems.
2. No person, firm, corporation, or other entity shall establish or permit to be established or maintain or permit to be maintained any cross connection. No interconnection shall be established whereby potable water from a private, auxiliary, or emergency water supply other than the regular public water supply of the City of Linton may enter the supply or distribution system of said municipahty unless such private, auxiliary, or emergency water supply and the method of connection and use of such supply shall have been approved by the Linton Water Utility and by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in accordance with 327 IAC 8-10.
3. The City of Linton Water Utility shall cause inspections to be made of all properties served by the public water system where cross connections with the public water system are deemed possible. The frequency of inspections and re-inspections based on potential health hazards involved shall be established by the City of Linton Water Utility.
4. Upon presentation of credentials, representatives of the City of Linton Water Utility shall have the right to request entry at any reasonable time to examine the property served by a connection to the public water system of the City of Linton for cross connections. On request, the owner, lessee, or occupant of any property so served shall furnish to the inspection agency any pertinent information regarding the piping system or systems on such property. The refusal of access or refusal of requested pertinent information shall be deemed evidence of the presence of cross connections.
5. The Linton Water Utility hereby is authorized and directed to discontinue water service to any property wherein any connection in violation of this ordinance exists, and to take such other precautionary measures deemed necessary to eliminate any danger of contamination of the public water system. Water service shall be discontinued only after reasonable notice has been served on the owner, lessee, or occupant(s) of the property or premises where a violation is found or suspected to exist. Water service to such property shall not be restored until the cross connection(s) has been ehminated in compliance with the provisions of this ordinance.
6. If it is deemed by the Linton Water Utility that a cross connection or an emergency endangers public health, safety, or welfare, and requires immediate action, and a written frnding to that effect is filed with the clerk of the City of Linton and delivered to the consumer's premises, service may be discontinued immediately. The consumer shall have an opportunity for hearing within 10 days of such emergency discontinuance.
7. All consumers using toxic or hazardous liquids, all hospitals, mortuaries, wastewater treatment plants, laboratories, and all other hazardous users shall install and maintain a reduced pressure principle backflow preventer in the main water line serving each building on the premises. The backflow preventer must be installed in an easily accessible location not subject to flooding or freezing.
8. The reduced pressure principle backflow preventers shall not be installed below ground level.
9. This ordinance does not supersede the Indiana Plumbing Code, the IDEM Rule 327 IAC 8-10, but is supplementary to it; however, this ordinance supersedes and replaces Ordinance No. 87-3 in its entirety.
10. If, in the judgment of the Manager of Linton Utilities, an approved backflow prevention device is necessary for the safety of the public water system, the Manager will give notice to the water consumer to install such an approved device immediately. The water consumer, at his own expense, shall install such an approved device at a location and in a manner approved by the Manager and shall have inspections and tests made of such approved devices as required by the Manager and in accordance with the IDEM Rule 327 IAC 8-10.
11. This ordinance was adopted and passed by the Common Council of the City of Linton, Indiana, to be in effect as of the 8th day of July, 2013.
(Ord. 2013-8, passed 07-08-2013, replaces Ord. 87-3 in its entirety, passed 06-18-1987)