Lompoc Municipal Code Ch. 13.12 Cross-Connections

A. Purpose. The purpose of this Chapter is:

1. To protect the public potable water supply of the City of Lompoc from the possibility of contamination or pollution by isolating within the consumer's potable water system(s) or the consumer's private water system(s) such contaminants or pollutants which could backflow into the City's public potable water systems; and,

2. To promote the elimination or control of existing cross-connections, actual or potential, between the public water system and the consumer's potable water system(s), nonpotable water system(s), plumbing fixtures and industrial piping systems; and,

3. To provide for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control which will systematically and effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of the public potable water systems.

B. Responsibility. The Utility Director shall be responsible for the protection of the public potable water distribution/system from contamination or pollution due to the backflow of contaminants or pollutants through the water service connection. If, in the judgment of the Utility Director or designee, an approved backflow prevention assembly is required at the consumer's water service connection, for the safety of the water system, the Utility Director or designee shall give notice in writing to said consumer to install such an approved backflow prevention assembly(s) at the consumer's service connection and at the consumer's own expense; and, failure, refusal or inability on the part of the consumer to install, have tested and maintain said assembly or assemblies shall constitute grounds for discontinuing water service to the consumer until such requirements have been satisfactorily met.

(Prior code § 3329)

For the purposes of this Chapter, the following words and phrases shown below shall have the meanings ascribed to them by this Section.

"Approved"

means accepted by the Utility Director or designee as meeting an applicable specification stated or cited in this Chapter, or as suitable for the proposed site.

"Auxiliary water supply"

means any water supply on or available to the premises other than the City of Lompoc's approved public water supply. These auxiliary waters may include water from another purveyor's public potable water supply or any natural source(s) such as a well, rain water collection system, spring, river, stream, harbor, etc., or "used waters" or "industrial fluids" for other processes, or for firefighting purposes. These waters may be contaminated or polluted or they may be objectionable and constitute an unacceptable water source over which the City does not have sanitary control.

"Backflow"

means the undesirable reversal of the flow of water and other liquids, gases, or other substances, into the distribution pipes of the City of Lompoc public potable water supply, caused by either back pressure or backsiphonage.

"Backflow prevention assembly-type"

means any effective assembly used to prevent backflow into a potable water system. The type of assembly used shall be based on the existing or potential degree of hazard and backflow condition.

"Air-gap"

means a physical separation between the free flowing discharge end of a potable water supply pipeline and an open or non-pressure receiving vessel. An "approved air-gap" shall be at least double the diameter of the supply pipe, measured vertically above the overflow rim of the vessel; but in no case less than one inch.

"Atmospheric vacuum breaker backsiphonage prevention assembly (AVB)"

means an assembly containing an air inlet valve, a check seat, and an air inlet port(s). The flow of water into the body causes the air inlet valve to close the air inlet port(s). When the flow of water stops, the air inlet valve falls and forms a check valve against backsiphonage. At the same time it opens the air inlet port(s) allowing air to enter and satisfy the vacuum. A shutoff valve immediately upstream may be an integral part of the assembly, but the assembly shall not be subjected to operating pressure for more than 12 hours in any 24-hour period. An atmospheric vacuum breaker is designed to protect against a non-health hazard (i.e., pollutant) or a health hazard (i.e., contaminant) under a backsiphonage condition only.

"Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly (RP)"

means an assembly containing two independently acting approved check valves together with a hydraulically operating, mechanically independent pressure differential relief valve located between the check valves and, at the same time, below the first check valve. The unit shall include properly located resilient seated test cocks and tightly closing resilient seated shutoff valves at each end of the assembly. The entire assembly shall meet the design and performance specifications as determined by a laboratory and a field evaluation program resulting in an approval by a recognized and approved City of Lompoc testing agency for backflow prevention assemblies. The assembly shall operate to maintain the pressure in the zone between two check valves at an acceptable level less than the pressure on the public water supply side of the assembly. At cessation of a normal flow, the pressure between the two check valves shall be less than the pressure on the public supply side of the assembly. In case of leakage of either of the check valves, the differential relief valve shall operate to maintain the reduced pressure in the zone between the check valves by discharging to the atmosphere. When the inlet pressure is two pounds per square inch or less, the relief valve shall open to the atmosphere. To be approved, these assemblies must be readily accessible for in-line testing and maintenance and be installed in a location where no part of the assembly will be submerged.

"Double check valve backflow prevention assembly (DC)"

means an assembly of two independently operating approved check valves with tightly closing resilient seated shut-off valves attached on each end of the assembly and fitted with properly located resilient seated test cocks for the testing of each check valves. The entire assembly shall meet the design and performance specifications as determined by a laboratory and field evaluation program resulting in an approval by recognized and City of Lompoc approved testing agency for backflow prevention assemblies. To be approved these assemblies must be readily accessible for in-line testing and maintenance. This assembly shall only be used to protect against a non-health hazard (i.e., pollutant).

"Double check-detector backflow prevention assembly (DCDA)"

means a specially designed assembly composed of a line-size approved double-check valve assembly with a bypass containing a specific water meter and an approved double-check valve assembly. The meter shall register accurately for only very low rates of flow up to three gpm (gallons per minute) and shall show a registration for all rates of flow. This assembly shall only be used to protect against a non-health hazard (i.e., pollutant). The DCDA is primarily used on fire sprinkler systems.

"Spill-resistant pressure vacuum breaker backsiphonage prevention assembly (SVB)"

means an assembly containing an independently operating internally loaded check valve and independently operating loaded air inlet valve located on the discharge side of the check valve. The assembly is to be equipped with a properly located resilient seated test cock, a properly located bleed/vent valve, and tightly closing resilient seated shutoff valves attached at each end of the assembly. This assembly is designed to protect against a non-health hazard (i.e., pollutant) or a health hazard (i.e., contaminant) under a backsiphonage condition only.

"Pressure vacuum breaker backsiphonage prevention assembly"

means an assembly containing an independently operating internally loaded check valve and an independently operating loaded air inlet valve located on the discharge side of the check valve. The assembly is to be equipped with properly located resilient seated test cocks and tightly closing resilient seated shutoff valves attached at each end of the assembly. The assembly is designed to protect against a non-health hazard (i.e., pollutant) or a health hazard (i.e., contaminant) under a backsiphonage condition only.

"Reduced pressure principle-detector backflow prevention assembly (RPDA)"

means a specially designed assembly composed of a line-size approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly with a bypass containing a specific water meter and an approved reduced pressure principle assembly. The meter shall register accurately for only very low rates of flow up to three gpm and shall show a registration for all rates of flow. This assembly shall be used to protect against a non-health hazard (i.e. pollutant) or a health hazard (i.e. contaminant). The RPDA is primarily used on fire sprinkler systems.

"Backpressure"

means any elevation of pressure in the downstream piping system (by pump, elevation of piping, or steam and/or air pressure) above the supply pressure at the point of consideration which would cause, or tend to cause, a reversal of the normal direction of flow.

"Backsiphonage"

means a form of backflow due to a reduction in system pressure which causes a subatmospheric pressure (vacuum) to exist at a site in the water system.

"Certified backflow prevention assembly tester"

means a person who has proven his or her ability to the satisfaction of the Utility Director or designee. Each person who is certified to make field tests and make reports on backflow prevention assemblies shall be conversant with applicable laws, rules and regulations and have had experience in plumbing or pipe fitting or have other equivalent qualifications, in the opinion of the Utility Director or designee.

"Consumer"

means anyone who has water service from the City of Lompoc.

"Consumer's water system"

means the portion of the privately owned water system which is supplied by the City of Lompoc's public water system or an auxiliary water supply. The system(s) may be either potable or industrial and includes all pipes, conduits, tanks, receptacles, fixtures, equipment and appurtenances lying between the service connection and the point of use.

"Contamination"

means an impairment of the quality of the potable water which creates an actual or potential hazard to the public health through poisoning or through the spread of disease by sewage, industrial fluids or waste, etc.

"Critical level"

means the marking (C-L or C/L) on atmospheric vacuum breakers or pressure vacuum breakers that determines the minimum elevation above the flood level rim of the fixture or receptacle served, as well as downstream piping and water uses, at which the unit may be installed. When an atmospheric vacuum breaker backsiphonage prevention assembly, a pressure vacuum breaker backsiphonage prevention assembly, or a spill resistant pressure vacuum breaker backsiphonage prevention assembly does not bear a critical level marking, the bottom of the assembly shall constitute the critical level.

"Cross-connection"

means any unprotected actual or potential connection or structural arrangement between the public potable water system and any other source or system through which it is possible to introduce into any part of the potable water system any used water, industrial fluid, gas, or substance other than the intended potable water with which the system is supplied. Bypass arrangements, jumper connections, removable sections, swivel or change-over devices and other temporary or permanent devices through which or because of which backflow can occur are considered to be cross-connections.

"Direct cross-connection"

means a cross-connection which is subject to both backsiphonage and backpressure.

"Indirect cross-connection"

means a cross-connection which is subject to backsiphonage only.

"Cross connection-controlled"

means a connection between a potable water system and a nonpotable system with an approved backflow prevention assembly properly installed, maintained, and periodically tested so that it will continuously afford the protection commensurate with the degree of hazard.

"Evaluation of hazard"

means the water supplier shall evaluate the degree of potential health hazard to the public water supply which may be created as a result of conditions existing in a user's premises. The water supplier, however, shall not be responsible for abatement of cross-connections which may exist within a user's premises. As a minimum, the evaluation should consider: the existence of cross-connections, the nature of materials handled on the property, the probability of a backflow occurring, the degree of piping system complexity, and the potential for piping system modification.

"Hazard," "degree of hazard"

means either a pollutional (non-health) or contamination (health) hazard which is identified from the evaluation of conditions within a system.

Hazard, Health.

"Health hazard" means an actual or potential threat of contamination of a physical or toxic nature to the public potable water system or the consumer's potable water system that would be a danger to health.

Hazard, Plumbing.

"Plumbing hazard" means an internal or plumbing type cross-connection in a consumer's potable water system that may be either a pollutional- or a contamination-type hazard. This includes, but is not limited to, cross-connections to toilets, sinks, lavatories, wash trays, and lawn sprinkling systems. Plumbing-type cross connections can be located in many types of structures including homes, apartment houses, hotels and commercial or industrial establishments. Such a connection, if permitted to exist, must be properly protected by an appropriate type of backflow prevention assembly.

Hazard, Pollutional.

"Pollutional hazard" means an actual or potential threat to the physical properties of the water system, or the potability of the public or the consumer's potable water system, but which would not constitute a health or system hazard, as defined. The maximum degree or intensity of pollution to which the potable water system could be degraded under this definition would cause a nuisance, be aesthetically objectionable, or could cause minor damage to the system or its appurtenances.

Hazard, System.

"System hazard" means an actual or potential threat of severe danger to the physical properties of the public or the consumer's potable water system or of a pollution or contamination which would have a protracted effect on the quality of the potable water in the system.

"Industrial fluids system"

means any system containing a fluid or solution which may be chemically, biologically or otherwise contaminated or polluted, in a form or concentration such as would constitute a health, system, pollution or plumbing hazard if introduced into an approved water supply. This may include, but is not limited to: polluted or contaminated waters; all types of process waters and "used waters" originating from the public potable water system which may have deteriorated in sanitary quality; chemicals in fluid form; plating acids and alkalines; circulating cooling waters connected to an open cooling tower and/or cooling towers that are chemically or biologically treated or stabilized with toxic substances; carbonated water from carbonation equipment, contaminated natural waters such as wells, springs, streams, rivers, bays, harbors, seas, irrigation canals or systems, etc.; oil gases, glycerine, paraffins, caustic and acid solutions and other liquid and gaseous fluids used for fire fighting or other purposes.

"Internal protection"

means the appropriate type or method of backflow prevention within the consumer's potable water system at the point of use, commensurate with the degree of hazard.

"Meter service protection"

means the appropriate type or method of backflow protection at the meter service connection, commensurate with the degree of hazard of the consumer's potable water system.

"Nonpotable water"

means a water supply which has not been approved for human consumption by the health agency having jurisdiction.

"Pollution"

means an impairment of the quality of the water to a degree which does not create a hazard to the public health but which does adversely and unreasonably affect the aesthetic qualities of such waters for domestic use.

"Potable water"

means any public potable water supply which has been investigated and approved by the health agency. The system must be operating under a valid health permit. In determining what constitutes an approved water supply, the health agency has final authority as to its safety and potability.

"Readily accessible"

means capable of being reached for testing and/or maintenance, without the need of removing any access panel, door, or similar obstruction.

"Service connection"

means the terminal end of a service connection from the public potable water system; i.e., where the City of Lompoc loses jurisdiction and sanitary control over the water at its point of delivery to the consumer's water system. If a water meter is installed at the end of the service connection, then the service connection shall mean the downstream end of the water meter. There should be no unprotected takeoffs from the service line ahead of any meter or any backflow prevention assembly located at the point of delivery to the consumer's water system. Service connection also includes water service connection from a fire hydrant and all other temporary or emergency water service connections from the public potable water system.

"Utility Director"

means the Utility Director in charge of the Water Division of the Utility Department of the City of Lompoc vested with the authority and responsibility for the implementation of an effective cross-connection control program and for the enforcement of the provisions of this Chapter.

"Water purveyor"

means the public or private owner or operator of the potable water system supplying an approved water supply to the public.

Water, used.

"Used water" means any water supplied by the City of Lompoc public potable water system to a consumer's water system after it has passed through the service connection and is no longer under the sanitary control of the City of Lompoc.

(Prior code § 3330)

A. Water System.

1. The water system is composed two parts: The City of Lompoc's system and the consumer's system.

2. The City of Lompoc's system consists of the source facilities and the distribution system, and includes all those facilities of the water system under the complete control of the City, up to the point where the consumer's system or service connection begins.

3. The source facilities include all components of the facilities utilized in the production, treatment, storage, and delivery of water to the distribution system.

4. The distribution system includes the network of conduits used for the delivery of water from the source to the consumer's system.

5. The customer's system includes those parts of the facilities beyond the service connection of the City distribution system which are utilized in conveying City-delivered potable water to points of use.

B. Policy.

1. No water service connection to any premises shall be installed or maintained by the City of Lompoc unless the water supply is protected as required by State laws and regulations and this Chapter. Water service to any premises shall be discontinued by the City of Lompoc if a backflow prevention assembly required by this Chapter is not installed, tested and maintained, or if it is found that a backflow prevention assembly has been removed or bypassed, or if an unprotected cross connection exists on the premises. Water service will not be restored until such conditions or defects are corrected.

2. The consumer's service should be open for inspection at all reasonable times to authorized representatives of the City of Lompoc to determine whether cross-connections or other structural or sanitary hazards, including violations of these regulations, exist. When such a condition becomes known, the Utility Director or designee may deny or immediately discontinue service to the premises by providing for a physical break in the service line until the consumer has corrected the condition(s) in conformance with the State and City statutes relating to plumbing and water supplies and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

3. An approved backflow prevention assembly shall be readily accessible and be installed on each service line to a consumer'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 meter service connection wherever the following conditions exist:

a. In the case of premises having an auxiliary water supply, which is not or may not be of safe bacteriological or chemical quality and which is not acceptable to the City of Lompoc as an additional source, the public water system shall be protected against backflow from the premises by installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly, appropriate to the degree of hazard, at the meter service connection.

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 public water system, the public system shall be protected against backflow from the premises by installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly commensurate with the degree of hazard, in the service line. This shall include the handling of process waters and waters originating from City of Lompoc system which have been subject to deterioration in quality.

c. In the case of premises having (1) internal cross-connection that cannot be permanently corrected or controlled, or (2) intricate plumbing and piping arrangements or (3) where entry to all portions of the premises is not readily accessible for inspection purposes, making it impracticable or impossible to ascertain whether or not dangerous cross-connections exist, the public water system shall be protected against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line.

4. The type of protective assembly required under Subsections (B)(3)(a),(b) and (c) of this Section, shall depend upon the degree of hazard which exists as follows:

a. In the case of any premises where there is an auxiliary water supply as stated in Subsection (B)(3)(a) of this Section, which is not subject to any of the following rules, the City of Lompoc public water system shall be protected by an approved air-gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.

b. 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 City of Lompoc water system, the City water system shall be protected by an approved double check valve backflow prevention assembly.

c. In the case of any premises where there is any material dangerous to health which is handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard of the City of Lompoc water system, the City water system shall be protected by an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly. Examples of premises where these conditions will exist include sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, chemical manufacturing plants, medical and veterinary facilities, mortuaries, and plating plants.

d. In the case of any premises where there are unprotected cross-connections, either actual or potential, the City of Lompoc water system shall be protected by an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly at the service connection.

e. 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 City of Lompoc water system shall be protected against backflow from the premises by an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly on each service to the premises.

5. Any backflow prevention assembly required herein shall be a make, model and size approved by the Utility Director or Designee. The term "approved backflow prevention assembly" means an assembly that has been manufactured in full conformance with the standards established by the American Water Works Association entitled: AWWA/ANSI C510-92 Standard for Double Check Valve Backflow Prevention Assemblies; AWWA/ANSI C511-92 Standard for Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Prevention Assemblies; and have met completely the laboratory and field performance specifications of the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research of the University of Southern California (USC FCCCHR) established in: Specifications of Backflow Prevention Assemblies-Section 10 of the most current edition of the Manual of Cross-Connection Control.

a. Said AWWA and USC FCCCHR standards and specifications have been adopted by the Utility Director or designee. Final approval shall be evidenced by a certificate of compliance for the said AWWA standards, or certificate of approval for the said USC FCCCHR specifications, issued by an approved testing laboratory.

b. The following testing laboratory has been qualified by the Utility Director or designee to test and approve backflow prevention assemblies:

Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research

University of Southern California

KAP-200 University Park MC-2531

Los Angeles, California 90089-2531

c. Testing laboratories other than the laboratory listed in Subsection (B)(5)(b) above will be added to an approved list as they are qualified by the Utility Director or designee.

d. Backflow prevention assemblies which may be subjected to backpressure or backsiphonage that have been fully tested and have been granted a certificate of approval by said qualified laboratory and are listed on the laboratory's current list of approved backflow prevention assemblies may be used without further test or qualification.

6. It is the duty of the consumer at any premises where backflow prevention assemblies are installed to have a field test performed by a certified backflow assembly tester upon installation and at least once per year. In those instances where the Utility Director or designee deems the hazard to be great enough, the Utility Director or designee may require certified inspections at more frequent intervals. These tests shall be at the sole expense of the consumer and shall be performed by a certified tester, approved by the Utility Director or designee.

The Utility Director or designee is responsible for seeing that these tests are made in a timely manner. These assemblies shall be repaired, overhauled or replaced at the expense of the consumer whenever said assemblies are found to be defective. Records of such tests, repairs, or overhauls shall be kept and made available to the Utility Director or Designee.

7. Properly Calibrated Gage Equipment. Properly calibrated gage equipment is essential to insure accurate data acquisition. Gage equipment shall be checked for accuracy at least once a year and re-calibrated when inaccuracy is greater than plus 0.2 pounds per square inch (psi). A copy of the calibration test must be made available to the Utility Director or designee annually or upon request.

8. Presently Installed Backflow Prevention Assemblies. All presently installed backflow prevention assemblies which do not meet the requirements of this Chapter, but were approved devices for the purposes described herein at the time of installation, and which have been properly maintained, shall, except for the testing and maintenance requirements under Subsection (B)(6) of this Section, be excluded from the requirements of these rules so long as the Utility Director or designee is assured that they will satisfactorily protect the City of Lompoc system. Whenever the existing device is moved from the present location or requires more than minimum maintenance, or when the Utility Director or designee finds that the maintenance constitutes a hazard to health, the unit shall be replaced by an approved backflow prevention assembly meeting the requirement of this Section, at the consumer's expense.

9. The Utility Director or designee may authorize the periodic retesting, in addition to the required testing described in Subsection (B)(6) of this Section, of consumer backflow prevention devices by City of Lompoc utility staff as part of the surveillance and quality control measures of the cross-connection program in the City of Lompoc.

10. The Utility Director or designee is authorized to make all necessary and reasonable rules and regulations with respect to the enforcement of this Chapter. All such rules and regulations shall be consistent with the provisions of this Chapter.

(Prior code § 3331)