(a) The type of protection required under Section 921.31(a), (b) and (c) shall depend on the degree of hazard which exists as follows:
(1) An approved air gap separation shall be installed where a public water system may be contaminated with substances that could cause a severe health hazard.
(2) An approved air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device shall be installed where a public water system may be contaminated with any substance that could cause a system or health hazard.
(3) An approved air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device or an approved double check valve assembly shall be installed where a public water system may be polluted with any substance that could cause a pollution hazard.
(b) The type of protection required under Section 921.31(c) shall be an approved air gap separation or an approved interchangeable connection.
(c) Where an auxiliary water system is used as a secondary source of water for a fire protection system, the provisions of subsection (b) hereof for an approved air gap separation or an approved interchangeable connection may be waived by the Director of the Water Department and the Ohio E.P.A. provided:
(1) At premises where the auxiliary water system may be contaminated with substances that could cause a system or health hazard, a public water system or a potable consumer's water system shall be protected against backflow by installation of an approved reduced pressure principle backflow device.
(2) At all other premises, a public water system or a potable consumer's water system shall be protected against backflow by installation of either an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device or an approved double check valve assembly.
(3) A public water system or a potable consumer's water system shall be the primary source of water for the fire protection system.
(4) The fire protection system shall be normally filled with water from a public water system or a potable consumer's water system.
(5) The water in the fire protection system shall be used for fire protection only, with no other use of water from the fire protection system downstream from the approved backflow prevention device.
(d) Types of Backflow Protection Required: Domestic Water Services.
(1) An approved backflow prevention device of the type designated shall be installed on each domestic water service connection to the following types of facilities unless the Director determines that no real or potential health, pollution or system hazard to the public water system exists. This list is presented as a guideline and should not be construed as being complete.
Abbreviations used are as follows:
A.G. - Air Gap Separation
R.P. - Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Preventer
D.C. - Double Check Valve Backflow Preventer
Type of Facility | Minimum Type of Protection |
Breweries, distilleries, bottling plants | D.C. |
Car wash with recycling system and/or wax eductor | R.P. |
Chemical plants | R.P. |
Dairies | D.C. |
Dentist office | R.P. |
Fertilizer plants | R.P. |
Film laboratory or processing plant | R.P. |
Food or beverage plant | D.C. |
Hospitals, clinics, medical buildings | R.P. |
Laboratories | R.P. |
Laundries and dry cleaning plants | D.C. |
Machine tool plants (health or system hazard) | R.P. |
Machine tool plants (pollution hazard) | D.C. |
Metal processing plant (health or system hazard) | R.P. |
Metal processing plant (pollution hazard) | D.C. |
Metal plating plant | R.P. |
Morgues or mortuaries | R.P. |
Nursing homes | R.P. |
Packing houses or rendering plants | R.P. |
Paper products plant | R.P. |
Petroleum processing plant | R.P. |
Petroleum storage yard (health or system hazard) | R.P. |
Petroleum storage yard (pollution hazard) | D.C. |
Pharmaceutical or cosmetic plant | R.P. |
Piers, docks or waterfront facilities | R.P. |
Power plants | R.P. |
Radioactive material plants | R.P. |
Restaurants, with soap eductors and/or industrial type disposal | R.P. |
Sand and gravel plants | D.C. |
Schools with laboratories having acid wastes | R.P. |
Sprinkling or irrigation systems | R.P. |
Swimming pools with piped fill line (at pool) | A.G. |
Sewage treatment plants | R.P. |
Sewage pumping stations (health or system hazard) | R.P. |
Veterinary establishments | R.P. |
Others specified by the Superintendent. | |
(2) In addition to and including those types of facilities listed in subsection (d)(1) hereof, an approved backflow prevention device of the type designated shall be installed on each domestic water service connection to any premises containing the following real or potential hazards.
Minimum Type of Protection | |
Premises having an auxiliary water system not connected to public water system | R.P. |
Premises having a water storage tank, reservoir, pond or similar appurtenance | R.P. |
Premises having a steam boiler, cooling system or hot water heating system where chemical water conditioners are used | R.P. |
Premises having submerged inlets to equipment | R.P. |
Premises having self-draining yard hydrants, fountains, hose boxes or similar devices presenting a health or system hazard (such as chemical storage plants, tank farms, bulk storage yards) | R.P. |
Premises having self-draining yard hydrants, fountains, hose boxes or similar devices presenting a pollution hazard (such as parks, play fields, cemeteries) | D.C. |
Others specified by the Superintendent | |
(e) Type of Backflow Protection Required: Fire Protection Services. An approved backflow prevention device of the type designated shall be installed on each fire protection service to any premises where the fire protection system contains any of the following components unless the Director determines that no real or potential health, pollution or system hazard to the public water system exists.
Fire System Component | Minimum Type of Protection |
(1) Auxiliary water system | |
(2) Anti-freeze kegs | R.P. |
(3) Self-draining fire hydrants on premises presenting a health or system hazard (such as chemical plants, petroleum storage plants, bulk storage yards, stock yards, sewer plants or similar facilities where ground seepage of toxic materials may occur
| R.P. |
(4) Self-draining fire hydrants on premises presenting a pollution hazard (such as apartment house, office complex, fabricating plants or similar facilities where ground seepage of pollution but not toxic materials may occur
| D.C. |
(5) Covered gravity or pressure storage tanks filled with water from the public system
| D.C. |
(6) Uncovered storage tanks or reservoirs
| R.P. |
(7) Others specified by the Director.
| |
(Ord. 91-1404. Passed 11-5-91.)