Chapter 13.14 — CROSS-CONNECTION

For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.

"Approved water supply" Means a water source that has been approved by the State Water Resources Control Board for domestic use in a public water system and designated as such in a domestic water supply permit issued pursuant to Section 116525 of the California Health and Safety Code.

"Auxiliary water supply" means a source of water, other than an approved water supply, that is either used or equipped, or can be equipped, to be used as a water supply and is located on the premises of, or available to, a water user.

"Back pressure" means the backflow caused by a pump, elevated tank, boiler, or other means that could create pressure within the system greater than the city water supply.

"Back siphonage" means a form of backflow due to a negative or subatmospheric pressure within the water system.

"Backflow" means an undesired or unintended reversal of flow of water and/or other liquids, gases, or other substances into a public water system's distribution system or approved water supply.

"Backflow prevention device" means an approved device to counteract back pressure or prevent back siphonage.

"Cross-connection" means any actual or potential connection or structural arrangement between a public water system, including a piping system connected to the city's public water system and located on the premises of a water user or available to the water user, and any source or distribution system containing liquid, gas, or other substances not from an approved water supply.

"Double check valve assembly" or "DCVA" means an approved assembly composed of two single, independently acting check valves, including tightly closing shutoff valves located at each end of the assembly and suitable connections for testing the watertightness of each check valve.

"User connection" means the point of connection of a user's piping to the public potable water supply of the city.

"Water user" means any person obtaining water from the public water supply of the city. (Ord. 851, 12/16/2024)

• A. No user connection to any premises shall be installed or allowed by the city unless the water supply is protected as required by state laws and regulations, and this chapter. Service of water to any premises may be discontinued by the city if any of the following are found to have occurred:

  1. A backflow prevention device required by this chapter is not installed, tested and maintained as required herein; or

  2. A backflow prevention device required by this chapter has been removed or bypassed; or

  3. If an unprotected cross-connection exists on the premises.

• B. The city will give twenty-four hours' notice prior to discontinuing water service. Water service will not be restored until such conditions or defects are corrected.

• C. The Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook (2023) adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board, and as amended from time to time, is adopted as the city's official cross-connection control policy.

• (Ord. 851, 12/16/2024)

It is the responsibility of the public works department of the city to protect the public potable water distribution system from contamination or pollution due to the backflow or backsiphonage of contaminants or pollutants through the water service connection. If, in the judgment of the director of public works or a designated agent, an approved backflow prevention device is required at the city's water service connection to any water user's premises, for the safety of the city's water system, the public works director or designated agent must give notice in writing to said customer to install such an approved device at each service connection to their premises. The customer must immediately install such device, at their expense. Failure, refusal or inability on the part of the customer to install such device constitutes grounds for discontinuing water service to the premises until such device has been properly installed. (Ord. 624, 1988; Ord. 851, 12/16/2024)

An approved backflow prevention device is required to be installed on each service line to a water user's water system at or near the property line or immediately inside the building being served; but, in all cases, before the first branch line leading off the service line wherever the following conditions exist:

• A. In the case of premises having an auxiliary water supply that is not or may not be of safe bacteriological or chemical quality, and which is not acceptable as an additional source by the city, the city's public water system must be protected against backflow from the premises through the installation of an approved backflow prevention device in the service line appropriate to the degree of hazard.

• B. In the case of premises on which any industrial fluids or any other objectionable substance is handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard to the city's public water system, the city's public water system must be protected against backflow from the premises through the installation of an approved backflow prevention device in the service line appropriate to the degree of hazard. This includes the handling of process waters and waters originating from the city's water system which have been subject to deterioration in quality.

• (Ord. 851, 12/16/2024)

Any backflow prevention device required by this code must be a model and size approved by the public works director. The term "approved backflow prevention device" means each replaced or newly installed PVB, SVB, DC, and RP for protection of the city's public water system that is approved through both laboratory and field evaluation tests performed in accordance with at least one of the following:

• A. Standards found in Chapter 10 of the Manual of Cross-Connection Control, Tenth Edition, published by the University of Southern California Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research; or

• B. Certification requirements for BPAs in the Standards of ASSE International current as of 2022 that include ASSE 1015-2021 for the DC, ASSE 1048-2021 for the DCDA & DCDAII, ASSE 1013-2021 for the RP, and ASSE 1047-2021 for the RPDA & RPDA-II and must have the 1YT mark.

• (Ord. 624, 1988; Ord. 851, 12/16/2024)

Prior to the installation of any backflow prevention device, the water user must submit to the public works director a statement containing the make and model of the device, location, and method of installation of such device for approval. Failure to do so could result in the installation of a nonapproved device and failure to comply with this chapter. (Ord. 624, 1988; Ord. 851, 12/16/2024)

• A. It is the duty of the water user at any premises where backflow prevention devices have been installed to have certified inspections and operational tests made at least once each year. If in the opinion of the public works director or his or her designated agent a hazard is great enough, they may require a certified inspection at more frequent intervals. These inspections and tests are to be done at the customer's expense and must be performed by the device manufacturer's representative, by the city's utility personnel, or by a certified tester approved by the city.

• B. It is the duty of the public works department to ensure that these timely tests are made. The water user must notify the city in advance of these tests so that a representative may witness the tests if so desired. These devices must be repaired, overhauled or replaced whenever they are found to be defective at the customer's sole expense. Records of such tests, repairs or replacement must be kept and made available to the city.

• C. If the water user fails or refuses to comply with the inspection and maintenance requirements of this section, then the city may perform said inspections or repairs and add the cost to the water user's monthly water bill to be paid and collected in the same manner as the monthly service charges.

• (Ord. 624, 1988; Ord. 851, 12/16/2024)

Water users must grant authorized employees or contractors of the city reasonable access to any premises supplied with city water for the purpose of making inspections for cross-connection control/backflow prevention devices, the water system, and water meters located upon such premises. If any person who is an owner or occupant of the premises, refuses admittance to or hinders or prevents inspection by an authorized employee or contractor of the city, then the city may shut off the water service, after twenty-four hours' notice of the city's intention to do so. (Ord. 624, 1988; Ord. 851, 12/16/2024)