(A) The Director will evaluate the hazards inherent in supplying a customer’s water system using applicable standards and codes. If in the judgment of the Director an approved backflow preventer is required at the customer’s water service connection or within the customer’s water system, the Director shall give written notice to the customer of the specific locations, types, and sizes of the required assemblies or devices.
(B) Failure or refusal or inability on the part of the customer to provide for the installation, testing or repair of customer owned and required approved backflow preventers shall constitute grounds for discontinuing potable or reuse water service to the premises until such approved backflow preventers have been properly installed.
(C) Wherever the following conditions exist, an approved backflow preventer shall be installed on each service line to a customer’s water system at or near the property line, but in all cases, before the first branch line leading off the service line:
(1) In the case of premises having an auxiliary water supply that is not or may not be of safe bacteriological or chemical quality, the public water system shall be protected against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow preventer in the service line, at or near the point of delivery appropriate to the degree of hazard as determined by the city.
(2) In the case of premises on which any industrial fluids or any other objectionable substances are handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard to the public water system, the public system shall be protected against backflow by installing an approved backflow preventer in the service line, at or near the point of delivery appropriate to the degree of hazard. This shall include the handling of process waters and waters originating from the utility system that have been subject to deterioration in quality.
(D) The type of approved backflow preventer required shall depend upon the degree of hazard that exists as determined by the Florida Plumbing Code or Director as follows:
(1) In the case of any premises where there is an auxiliary water supply and it is not subject to any of the following rules, the public water system shall be protected by an approved air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow preventer.
(2) In the case of any premises where there is water or substance that would be objectionable but not hazardous to health if introduced into the public water system, the public water system shall be protected by an approved double check valve assembly.
(3) In the case of any premises where there is any material danger to health that is handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard to the public water system, the public water system shall be protected by an approved air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow preventer. Examples of premises where these conditions include, but are not limited to, sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, chemical manufacturing plants, hospitals, mortuaries, and plating plants.
(4) In the case of any premises where there are uncontrolled cross-connections, either actual or potential, the public water system shall be protected by an approved air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow preventer at the service connection.
(5) In the case of any premises where, because of security requirements or other prohibitions or restrictions, it is impossible or impractical to make a complete in-plant cross-connection survey, the public water system shall be protected against backflow from the premises by either an approved air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow preventer on each service.
(6) In the case of any premises where, in the opinion of the Director, an undue health threat is posed because of the presence of extremely toxic substances, the Director may require an air gap separation or reduced principle backflow preventer at the service connection to protect the public water system.
(7) In the case of any premises where there is reclaimed water service for irrigation, there shall be no physical connection between the reclaimed water system and the customer’s potable water system. An approved double check valve assembly shall be required at all premises that are served by reclaimed water on the water service at or near the point of delivery, with the exception of single family residences, which may use an approved residential dual check device. Single family residences using another auxiliary water source for irrigation shall as a minimum use an approved dual check device.
(8) In the case where the metered use of potable water is permitted directly from a fire hydrant or other water system fixture for filling tank type vehicles (i.e. lawn maintenance and pest control), the water system shall be protected by an air gap separation or a reduced pressure zone backflow preventer.
(9) In the case where temporary use of water is permitted directly from a fire hydrant or other water system fixture through a portable meter (i.e. construction activity), the water system shall be protected by a double check valve assembly or reduced pressure zone backflow preventer.
(Ord. 2002-65, passed 9-10-02; Am. Ord. 2005-62, passed 6-28-05; Am. Ord. 2011-59, passed 7-12-11)