(A) Hazard to the water system. An approved backflow prevention assembly shall be installed on each service line to a consumer’s water system serving premises where, in the judgment of the water purveyor or the State Department of Environmental Quality, actual or potential hazards to the public potable water system exist. The type and degree of protection required shall be commensurate with the degree of hazard.
(B) Hazard to health. An approved air gap separation or reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly shall be installed at the service connection or within any premises where, in the judgment of the water purveyor or the State Department of Environmental Quality, the nature and extent of activities on the premises, or the materials used in connection with the activities, or materials stored on the premises, would present an immediate and dangerous hazard to health should a cross-connection occur, even though such cross-connection may not exist at the time the backflow prevention device is required to be installed. This includes, but is not limited to, the following situations located in division (C)(3) below.
(C) High hazard.
(1) The activities in this section are a high hazard and require the use of the specified backflow prevention assembly.
(2) If a tank or reservoir is filled in whole or in part by water from the public water system, an approved air-gap separation must be installed.
(3) An approved reduced pressure principle assembly must be installed if a customer’s service line is served in any manner by an auxiliary water supply or if the service line is subject in any manner to contamination by any means as a result of the following processes. Following is a list of facilities, activities or processes which include, but are not limited to, conditions requiring the installation of an approved reduced pressure principle assembly:
(a) Any private water system used or designed for use with a booster pump or which may become pressurized for any reason to the extent that backpressure may occur;
(b) Any private water system that contains water that can or is being re- circulated and/or is elevated more than 50 feet above any service connection between the customer and the public water supply;
(c) Bottling plant/brewery;
(d) Carwash with recycling system;
(e) Chemical plant;
(f) Dentist office;
(g) Commercial/dry cleaning facility (except self-service laundry);
(h) Exterminating company;
(i) Fire sprinkler system that may contain any of the following; booster pump, chemical additives or FDC;
(j) Medical facilities, including veterinaries and rehabilitation facilities;
(k) Irrigation system with or without chemical additives;
(l) Laboratories of any kind including those in high schools, trade schools, colleges, universities and research institutions;
(m) Metal or plastic processing/fabrication facility, including metal and plastic finishing plants;
(n) Morgue or mortuary;
(o) Pharmaceutical plant;
(p) Power plant;
(q) Public/community swimming pool;
(r) Wastewater treatment facilities;
(s) Commercial facilities that have an average water consumption of 7,000 gallons/month or more for processes and/or activities; and
(t) Commercial facility that is deemed a significant industrial user of the wastewater collection system.
(D) Installation required. The following also may constitute installation of an approved air-gap or reduced pressure principle assembly:
(1) Premises having an auxiliary water supply, unless the quality of the auxiliary supply is acceptable to the water purveyor and the State Department of Environmental Quality;
(2) Premises having internal cross-connections that are not correctable, or intricate plumbing arrangements which make it impractical to ascertain whether or not cross-connections exist;
(3) Premises where entry is restricted so that inspections for cross-connections cannot be made with sufficient frequency or at sufficiently short notice to assure the cross-connections do not exist;
(4) Premises having a repeated history of cross-connections being established or reestablished;
(5) Premises which, due to the nature of the enterprise therein, are subject to recurring modification or expansion;
(6) Premises on which any substance is handled under pressure so as to permit entry into the public water supply, or where a cross-connection could reasonably be expected to occur. This shall include the handling of process waters and cooling waters, including boiler systems;
(7) Premises where materials of a toxic or hazardous nature are handled such that if back pressure should occur, a serious health hazard may result;
(8) Waterfront facilities including piers, docks, marinas and shipyards;
(9) Commercial facilities that use herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers or any chemical which would be a contaminant to the public water system; or
(10) Potable water dispensing stations that are supplied by the public water supply.
(E) Moderate hazard.
(1) The activities set forth in this section are a moderate hazard and require the use of the specified backflow prevention assembly.
(2) An approved double check valve assembly must be installed if the customer’s service line is subject in any manner to pollution by any means as a result of the following facilities, activities and processes which include, but are not limited to, conditions requiring the installation of an approved double check valve assembly:
(a) Non-residential building/structure which is not high hazard;
(b) Fire sprinkler system without the following: chemical additive, booster pump or FDC;
(c) Gas station;
(d) Mobile home park;
(e) Restaurant;
(f) School without the use of a laboratory;
(g) Self-service laundry; or
(h) Multi-family housing structure where one meter serves multiple dwellings.
(F) Imminent hazard. If the city determines that a customer’s service line constitutes an imminent hazard, such customer shall install a backflow prevention device that is determined by the city to meet the necessary requirements of this chapter within 24 hours after the determination has been given by the city. If the customer fails to install the specified assembly in a timely manner or refuses to install the specified assembly, the customer’s water service may be terminated.
(G) Existing hazard.
(1) If the Utilities Director determines that a customer’s service line constitutes an existing hazard or is a source of contamination to the public water system, the Director may terminate water services to the customer immediately without notice until the customer installs such backflow prevention assembly as may be specified by the Director.
(2) The Director shall notify the customer as soon as reasonably possible of such determination. The assembly must be installed and meet all requirements of testing required in this chapter before water service can be restored.
(Ord. 07-14-03B, passed 8-8-2022) Penalty, see § 54.99