(A) The purpose of this subchapter is to protect the public potable water supply of the City of Loup City water system from contamination or pollution by containing within the consumer's internal distribution system or private water system contaminants or pollutants which could backflow through the consumer's plumbing or service connection into the public potable water supply system.
(B) To promote the elimination, containment, isolation, or control of existing cross-connections, actual or potential, between the public or consumer's potable water supply systems and non-potable water systems, plumbing fixtures and industrial-process systems.
(C) This subchapter shall apply to all premises served by the public potable water system of the City of Loup City, and will be reasonably interpreted. It is the city's intent to recognize the varying degrees of hazard and to apply the principle that the degree of protection shall be commensurate with the degree of hazard.
(D) This subchapter provides for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control which will systematically and effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of the public potable water supply system.
(1) The city shall be primarily responsible to implement this subchapter to prevent contamination or pollution of the public water supply system due to backflow or cross-connections for the protection of the water supply system and the residents of this community.
(2) The Water Commissioner shall be responsible for the protection of the public potable water distribution system from contamination or pollution due to the backflow of contaminants or pollutants through the water service connection. If, in the judgment of the Water Commissioner, an approved backflow prevention assembly is required (at the customer's water service connection; or, within the customer's private water system) for the safety of the water system, the Water Commissioner or his or her designated agent shall give notice in writing to the customer to install such an approved backflow prevention assembly at specific location on his or her premises. The customer shall immediately install the approved assembly; and, failure, refusal, or inability on the part of the customer to install, have tested, and maintain the assembly shall constitute grounds from discontinuing water service to the premises until such requirements have been approved and satisfactorily met. The assembly shall be approved by the Water Commissioner prior to installation.
(3) The cooperation of all consumers is required to implement and maintain the program to control cross-connections and backsiphonage. The consumer is responsible for preventing contamination of the water system within consumer's own premises.
(4) The consumer is responsible for backsiphoned material or contamination and/or pollution through backflow and, if contamination or pollution of the city potable water supply system occurs through an illegal cross-connection and/or an improperly installed, maintained or repaired device, or a device that has been bypassed, he or she shall be liable for all associated costs or cleanup required for the public potable water supply system.
(1990 Code, § 3-122) (Ord. 413, passed 1-4-1994)