(A) Compliance. All plumbing installed within the city, shall be installed in accordance with the state’s Plumbing Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 890. If in accordance with the state’s Plumbing Code or in the judgment of the Water Department, an approved backflow prevention device is necessary for the safety of the public water supply system, the Superintendent of Water and Sewer Department 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 state’s Plumbing Code, State Environmental Protection Agency and all applicable local regulations, and shall have inspections and tests made of such approved devices upon installation and as required by the state’s Plumbing Code, State Environmental Protection Agency and local regulations.
(B) Prohibited connection. 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 city may enter the supply or distribution system of said municipality, unless such private, auxiliary or emergency water supply and the method of connection and use of such supply shall have been approved by the Superintendent of Water and Sewer Department and the state’s Environmental Protection Agency.
(C) Surveys and investigations. It shall be the duty of the Water Department to cause surveys and investigations to be made of commercial, 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 Superintendent of Water and Sewer Department shall deem necessary. Records of such surveys shall be maintained and available for review for a period of at least five years.
(D) Verification. 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 city for the purpose of verifying the presence or absence of cross-connections, and the Water Department shall have the right to enter any reasonable time any property served by a connection to the public water supply or distribution system of the city 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 so served shall furnish to the Water Department any information which it may request regarding the piping system or systems or water use on such property. The refusal of such information, when demanded, shall, within the discretion of the Water Department, be deemed evidence of the presence of improper connections as provided in this section.
(E) Disconnection. The Water Department of the city 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 it may deem necessary to eliminate any danger of contamination of the public water supply distribution mains. Water service to such 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 $250 is paid to the city. Immediate disconnection with verbal notice can be effected when the Water Department is assured that imminent danger of harmful contamination of the public water supply system exists. Such 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 Superintendent of Water and Sewer Department or the state’s Environmental Protection Agency, such action is required to prevent actual or potential contamination or pollution of the public water supply. Neither the city nor its agents or assigns shall be liable to any customer for any injury, damages or lost revenues which may result from termination of said customer’s water supply in accordance with the terms of this section, whether or not said termination was with or without notice.
(F) Consumer responsible for cleanup. The consumer responsible for back siphoned or back pressured material or contamination through backflow, if contamination of the potable water supply system occurs through an illegal cross-connection or an improperly installed, maintained or repaired device, or a device which has been bypassed, must bear the cost of cleanup of the potable water supply system.
(1974 Code, § 7-4-14) (Ord. 2003-11-11, passed 11-25-2003)