Chapter 15.20
CROSS-CONNECTIONS
Sections:
15.20.030 Certificate required.
15.20.060 Cross-connections prohibited.
15.20.070 Installation of backflow prevention assemblies.
15.20.080 Types of backflow prevention assemblies and devices required.
15.20.115 Identification of piping systems.
15.20.120 Inspection and testing requirements.
15.20.130 Termination of services.
15.20.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter, in conjunction with WAC 246-290-490, is to protect the public health by the control and prevention of actual and potential cross-connections by requiring the proper installation and safeguarding of service lines leading to premises where cross-connections exist or are likely to occur, by periodic inspecting and by regulating plumbing within premises to minimize the danger of contamination to the water system on the premises or the public water system itself. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.020 Application.
This chapter applies throughout the city of Rainier and outside the city of Rainier to every premises and the owners and occupants thereof served by the water system of the city of Rainier. It applies to all systems installed prior to or after its enactment. Every owner and occupant of any premises covered by this chapter is responsible for compliance with its terms and shall be strictly liable for all damage incurred as a result of failure to comply with the express terms and provisions contained herein. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.030 Certificate required.
The owner and the occupant of every premises which has a permanently installed irrigation system or which uses on the premises any nonpotable water must obtain a certificate of compliance from the city of Rainier. A certificate will be issued only if the system is in compliance with this chapter. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.040 Enforcement.
A. The director of public works will administer the provisions of this chapter. He will propound all needful rules and regulations to carry these provisions into effect. Any deviation, modification or changes from approved standards must be approved by the director of public works or his designated representative.
B. In implementing and monitoring the program the director of public works shall see good engineering and public health protection practices are used in the development and implementation of cross-connection control programs. Department of Health publications and the most recently published editions of references, such as, but not limited to, those listed below, may be used as guidance for cross-connection program development and implementation:
1. Manual of Cross-Connection Control, published by the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research, University of Southern California (USC Manual);
2. Cross-Connection Control Manual, Accepted Procedure and Practice, published by the Pacific Northwest Section of the American Water Works Association (PNWS-AWWA Manual); or
3. Guidance document: Cross-Connection Control for Small Water Systems, published by the Washington State Department of Health. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.050 Definitions.
A. “Air gap separation” means the unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet supplying water to tank, plumbing fixture, or other device and the flood level rim of the receptacle, and must be at least double the diameter of the supply pipe measured vertically above the flood level rim of the vessel. In no case may the gap be less than one inch.
B. “Auxiliary supply” means any water source or system other than the public water system, which may be available in the building or on the premises.
C. “Backflow” means the flow, other than the intended direction of flow, of any foreign liquids, gases, or substances into the distribution of the public water system.
1. “Back pressure” means backflow caused by a pump, elevated tank, boiler, or other means that could create pressure within the system greater than the potable water supply system.
2. “Back siphonage” means a form of backflow due to a negative or subatmospheric pressure within the water system.
D. “Backflow prevention assembly or device” means an apparatus to counteract back pressures or prevent back siphonage.
E. “Backflow prevention assembly” means an assembly incorporating approved shut-off valves before and after the device, and manufactured with suitable connections for testing. This assembly must be on the Washington State Department of Health’s most current list of approved backflow prevention assemblies.
F. “Cross-connection” means a point in the plumbing system where the public potable water supply is connected directly, or has the potential of being connected, to a source of nonpotable substance that is not a part of the public potable water supply. Bypass arrangements, jumper connections, removable sections, swivel or change-over devices, or other temporary or permanent devices through which, or because of which, backflow may occur are considered to be cross-connections.
G. “Double check valve assembly (DCVA)” means an approved assembly consisting of two independently operating check valves, loaded to the closed position by springs or weights, and installed as a unit with, and between, two resilient seated shutoff valves and having suitable connections for testing.
H. “Reduced pressure backflow assembly (RPBA)” means an approved assembly consisting of two independently operating check valves, spring loaded to the closed position, separated by a spring loaded differential pressure relief valve loaded to the open position, and installed as a unit with and between two resilient seated shutoff valves and having suitable connections for testing. The assembly must operate to maintain the pressure in the zone between the two check valves, less than the pressure on the public water system side of the device. At cessation of normal flow, the pressure between the check valve must be less than the supply pressure. In case of leakage of either check valve the differential relief valve must operate to maintain the reduced pressure by discharging to the atmosphere. When the inlet pressure drops below two pounds per square inch (13.8 kPa), the relief valve must open to the atmosphere, thereby providing an atmospheric zone between the two check valves. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.060 Cross-connections prohibited.
A. Except as provided in Sections 15.20.070 et seq., all cross-connections, whether or not they are controlled by automatic devices such as check valves or by hand-operated mechanisms such as gate valves or stopcocks, are prohibited.
B. Failure on the part of persons, firms, or corporations to discontinue the use of all cross-connections and to physically separate cross-connections is sufficient cause for the immediate discontinuance of public water services to the premises. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.070 Installation of backflow prevention assemblies.
Backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed at the service connection or within any premises where the nature and extent of activity 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 does not exist at the time the backflow prevention assembly is required to be installed. This includes:
A. Premises having an auxiliary water supply.
B. 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.
C. Premises where entry is restricted so that inspections for cross-connections cannot be made with sufficient frequency or at sufficient short notice to assure that cross-connections do not exist.
D. Premises having a repeated history of cross-connections being established or re-established.
E. Premises on which any substance is handled under pressure so as to permit entry into the public water system, or where a cross-connection could reasonably be expected to occur. This includes the handling of process waters, cooling waters, and carbonated beverage systems.
F. Premises where materials of a toxic or hazardous nature are handled such that if back siphonage should occur, a serious health hazard may result.
G. Premises having a fire sprinkler system.
H. Premises having a solar system.
I. The following types of facilities, but not limited to:
1. Hospitals, mortuaries, clinics;
2. Laboratories;
3. Piers and docks;
4. Sewage treatment plants;
5. Food or beverage processing plants;
6. Chemical plants using a water process;
7. Metal-plating industries;
8. Petroleum processing or storage plants;
9. Radioactive material processing plants or nuclear reactors;
10. Car washes;
11. Mobile cleaning vehicles;
12. Others specified by a Department of Health certified cross-connection control specialist. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.080 Types of backflow prevention assemblies and devices required.
The type of prevention assembly or device required by Section 15.20.070 depends on the degree of hazard which exists:
A. An air-gap separation or reduced pressure backflow assembly shall be installed where the water supply may be contaminated by sewage, industrial waste of a toxic nature or other contaminant which would cause a health or system hazard.
B. In the case of a substance which may be objectionable but not hazardous to health, a double-check valve assembly, air-gap separation or a reduced pressure backflow assembly shall be installed.
C. Lawn sprinkler systems, which are supplied by city water only, shall be required to have either a double check valve assembly, one pressure vacuum breaker assembly, or atmospheric vacuum breakers may be installed on each line. The units shall be approved by the Department of Health, as manufactured. Installation shall be as follows:
1. Pressure Vacuum Breaker Assembly. The pressure vacuum breaker assembly must be installed at least twelve (12) inches above the highest fixture or point of water usage and in such a manner that drainage will preclude back pressure. The pressure vacuum breaker assembly shall be installed vertically with test cocks and control valves accessibly located for connection of test equipment. This assembly is not to be installed more than sixty (60) inches high.
2. Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker. The atmospheric vacuum breaker (AVB) shall be installed on the discharge side of the last valve on each sprinkler zone. The AVB shall be installed at least six inches above the highest head so at no time will the vacuum breaker be subjected to back pressure or drainage. The AVB shall not be installed where it will be under continuous operating pressure for more than twelve (12) hours in any twenty-four (24) hour period. The AVB unit shall be installed vertically. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.090 Location.
Backflow prevention assemblies required by this chapter must be installed at the meter, at the property line of the premises when meters are not used, or at a location designated by a Department of Health certified cross-connection control specialist so as to be readily accessible for maintenance and testing, and where no part of the assembly will be submerged or hidden from proper inspection. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.100 Installation.
The installation of backflow prevention assemblies required by this chapter shall be inspected by a Department of Health certified cross-connection control specialist. The customer shall have the backflow prevention assembly or device tested immediately after installation by a currently certified Department of Health certified backflow assembly tester and provide the city with a certified test report. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.110 Acceptable types.
Any protective assembly or device required by this chapter shall be a model approved by the director of public works or his designated representative. A double check valve assembly or a reduced pressure backflow assembly, or a pressure vacuum breaker assembly will be approved if it has successfully passed performance tests of the University of Southern California, Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research, and has been approved by the Washington State Department of Health and otherwise meets standards acceptable to the director of public works. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.115 Identification of piping systems.
Where potable water, nonpotable water, chemical feed systems, gas lines, etc., co-exist in an industrial, commercial or residential facility, labeling in accordance with American National Standards A13.1 shall be required to ensure proper identification of each line. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.120 Inspection and testing requirements.
A. It is the customer’s responsibility to have the backflow prevention assembly or device tested upon installation and tested or repaired annually by a Washington Department of Health certified backflow assembly tester. The city will notify the customer in writing sixty (60) days prior to the test deadline. The customer will then provide evidence in writing that the backflow assembly or device meets all requirements prior to the test deadline. It may be required to test the backflow prevention assembly or device more often when successive inspections indicate failure.
B. Any person testing or repairing backflow prevention assemblies or devices must be currently certified as a backflow assembly tester by the State of Washington Department of Health. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.130 Termination of services.
The failure of the customer to cooperate in the installation, maintenance, testing or inspection of backflow prevention assemblies or devices required by this chapter is grounds for termination of water services to the premises or requiring air gap separation. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.140 Penalties.
It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to violate any provision of this chapter or fail to comply with any provision thereof. A violation of this chapter is a misdemeanor unless otherwise provided. A violation of any provision hereof is a continuing violation. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)
15.20.150 Conflicts.
It is the intention of the city of Rainier to implement a cross-connection ordinance in compliance with WAC 246-290-490 and to adopt regulations that meet or exceed the safety intended by that regulation. In the event of conflict between this chapter, WAC 246-290-490 or other controlling law, regulation or contract, the standard providing the highest degree of protection to the public water system shall apply. In the implementation of this chapter, the director of public works will determine the appropriate standard to apply. (Ord. 590 § 1 (part), 2010)