Chapter 15.09 — CROSS-CONNECTIONS AND BACKFLOW CONTROL

regulations.

A. Title 17, Chapter V, Sections 7583 through 7622, inclusive, of the California Administrative Code, entitled

"Regulations Relating to Cross-Connections," sets forth rules and regulations governing cross-connections. Said

regulations are incorporated by reference and made a part of this code insofar as they are applicable to the

protection of the public water supply.

B. Title 17, Section 7583, states, among other things, "The water purveyor has primary responsibility to prevent

water from unapproved sources, or any other substance, from entering the public water supply system." The city

of Petaluma, hereinafter "city," is a water purveyor within the meaning of Title 17.

C. In order to provide for an orderly and adequate means of protection of the public water supply from

backXow, the requirements set forth in this chapter are reasonable and necessary. The city adopts these

requirements for the protection of the public water supply from backXow. New water service connections shall be

installed and existing water service connections shall be modiWed to conform to these requirements.

(Ord. 2713 NCS §2 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord. 1677 NCS §2, 1987.)

The director of public works and utilities and chief operator shall be responsible for the protection of the public

potable water supply from contamination or pollution due to the backXow or back-siphonage of contaminants or

pollutants through the water service connection. (Ord. 2713 NCS §2 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord. 1677 NCS §2, 1987.)

     The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

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For the purposes of this chapter, the words set out in this section shall have the following meanings:

A. "Air gap" means the unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening

from any pipe or faucet supplying water to a tank, plumbing Wxture, or other device and the Xood-level rim of said

vessel. An approved air gap shall be at least double the diameter of the supply pipe, and in no case less than one

inch.

B. "Approved" means accepted by the director of public works and utilities and chief operator as meeting an

applicable speciWcation stated or cited in this chapter.

C. "Auxiliary water supply" means any water supply on or available to the premises other than the water

supplier approved public potable water supply. These auxiliary waters may include water from another supplier’s

public potable water supply or any natural source(s) such as a well, spring, river, stream, harbor, etc., or "used

waters" or "industrial Xuids." These waters may be polluted or contaminated, or they may be objectionable and

constitute an unacceptable water source over which the water supplier does not have sanitary control. Any well

will be considered as an auxiliary supply unless abandoned to city standards.

D. "BackXow" means the Xow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances under pressure into the

distributing pipes of a potable water supply system from any source or sources other than its intended source.

E. "Back-siphonage" means the Xow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances into the distributing pipes

of a potable water supply system from any source other than its intended source, caused by the sudden reduction

of pressure in the potable water supply system.

F. "BackXow preventer" means an approved device or means designed to prevent backXow or back-siphonage

listed in the University of Southern California (USC) Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic

Research List of Approved BackXow Prevention Assemblies.

G. "CertiWed tester" means a tester accepted by the public works and utilities director and chief operator as

meeting applicable requirements stated or cited in this chapter.

H. "Contamination" means an impairment of the quality of the potable water by sewage, industrial Xuids or

waste liquids, compounds or other materials to a degree which creates an actual hazard to the public health

through poisoning or through the spread of disease.

I. "Cross-connection" means any physical connection or arrangement of piping or Wxtures between two

otherwise separate piping systems, one of which contains potable and the other nonpotable water or industrial

Xuids of questionable safety, through which, or because of which, backXow or back-siphonage may occur into the

potable water system. A water service connection between a public potable water distribution system and a

customer’s water distribution system which is cross-connected to a contaminated Wxture, industrial Xuid system,

or with a potentially contaminated supply or auxiliary water system constitutes one type of cross-connection.

Other types of cross-connections include connectors such as swing connections, removable sections, four-way

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plug valves, spools, dummy sections of pipe, swivel, or charge-over devices, sliding multiport type, solid

connections, etc.

J. Cross-Connections, Controlled. "Controlled cross-connections" means a connection between a potable water

system and a nonpotable water system with an approved backXow-prevention device properly installed that will

continuously a[ord the protection commensurate with the degree of hazard.

K. "Cross-connection control by containment" means the installation of an approved backXow-prevention device

at the water service connection to any customer’s premises where it is physically and economically infeasible to

Wnd and permanently eliminate or control all actual or potential cross-connections within the customer’s water

system; or it means the installation of an approved backXow-prevention device on the service line leading to and

supplying a portion of a customer’s water system where there are actual or potential cross-connections which

cannot be e[ectively eliminated or controlled at the point of cross-connection.

L. "Customer" means any person or organization who receives water from the city water distribution system.

M. "Director of public works and utilities" means the director of public works of the city.

N. "Chief operator" means the person who has overall responsibility for the day-to-day, hands-on operation of a

water treatment facility or the person who has overall responsibility for the day-to-day, hands-on operation of a

distribution system and is deWned in CCR Title 22, Chapter 1, Section 63750.25.

O. "Double check-valve assembly" means an approved assembly of two independently operating approved

check valves with tightly closing shuto[ valves on each side of the check valves. The entire assembly shall meet the

design and performance speciWcations and approval of a recognized and city-approved testing agency for

backXow-prevention devices. To be approved, these devices must be readily accessible for in-line maintenance

and testing and installed to city standards.

P. "Double detector check-valve assembly" means an approved assembly of two independently operating

approved check valves with tightly closing shuto[ valves on each side of the check valves, plus properly located

test cocks for testing of each check valve and a bypass meter. The entire assembly shall meet the design and

performance speciWcations and approval of a recognized and city-approved testing agency for backXow-

prevention devices. To be approved, these devices must be readily accessible for in-line maintenance and testing

and installed to city standards.

Q. "Fire systems" means a WreWghting system with a direct connection to the public potable water system that

should be protected in a manner commensurate with the hazard. Fire protection systems may be classiWed as

follows:

 1.   Class I. Direct connections from domestic water mains only; no pumps or reservoir, no physical

connection from other water supplies; no antifreeze or other additives of any kind; and all sprinkler drains

 discharging to atmosphere, dry wells, or other safe outlets;

 2.   Class II. Same as Class I, except that booster pumps may be installed in the connection from the street

mains. This type of installation is not allowed by the city. See Section 15.08.230;

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 3.   Class III. Direct connection from public water supply main plus one or more of the following: elevated

storage tanks; Wre pumps taking suction from above ground covered reservoirs or tanks; or pressure tanks.

  All storage facilities are Wlled or connected to public water only; the water in the tanks to be maintained in a

potable condition;

 4.   Class IV. Directly supplied from public mains similar to Classes I and II, connections for Wre pumper truck

or with an auxiliary water supply on or available to the premises;

 5.   Class V. Directly supplied from public mains and interconnected with auxiliary supplies, such as pumps

 taking suction from reservoirs exposed to contamination or from rivers and ponds; driven wells; mills or

other industrial water systems; or systems where anti-freeze or other additives are used;

 6.   Class VI. Combined industrial and Wre protection systems supplied from the public water mains only, with

or without gravity-storage or pump-suction tanks.

R. "Degree of hazard" means the elevation of the potential risk to public health and the adverse e[ect of the

hazard upon the potable water system as:

 1.   Hazard—Health. Any condition, device, or practice in the water supply system and its operation which

could create, or in the judgement of the director of public works and utilities and chief operator may create a

danger to the health and well-being of the water consumer. An example of a health hazard is a structural

 defect, including cross-connections, in a water supply system.

 2.   Hazard—Plumbing. A plumbing type cross-connection in a consumer’s potable water system that has not

been properly protected by a vacuum breaker, air-gap separation, or backXow-prevention device.

Unprotected plumbing type cross-connections are considered to be a health hazard.

 3.   Hazard—Pollutional. An actual or potential threat to the physical properties of the water system or to the

 potability of the public or the consumer’s potable water system but which would constitute a nuisance or be

 aesthetically objectionable or could cause damage to the system or its appurtenances, but would not be

dangerous to health.

 4.   Hazard—System. An actual or potential threat of severe damage to the physical properties of the public

potable water system or the consumer’s potable water system, or of a pollution or contamination which

would have a protracted e[ect on the quality of the potable water in the system.

S. "Industrial Xuids system" means any system containing a Xuid or solution which may be chemically,

biologically, or otherwise contaminated or polluted in a form or concentration such as would constitute a health,

system, pollutional or plumbing hazard if introduced into an approved water supply. This may include, but not be

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 Xuid form; plating acids

and alkalis; circulating cooling waters connected to an open cooling tower and/or cooling towers that are

chemically or biologically treated or stabilized with toxic substances; contaminated natural waters such as from

wells, springs, streams, rivers, bays, harbors, seas, irrigation canals or systems, etc.; oils, gases, glycerine paraYns,

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caustic and acid solutions, and other liquid and gaseous Xuids used for industrial or other purposes or for

WreWghting purposes.

T. "Pollution" means the presence of any foreign substance (organic, inorganic or biological) in water which

tends to degrade its quality so as to constitute a hazard or impair the usefulness or quality of the water to a

degree which does not create an actual hazard to the public health, but which does adversely and unreasonably

a[ect such waters for domestic use.

U. "Reduced pressure principle device" means an assembly of two independently operating approved check

valves with an automatically operating di[erential relief valve between the two check valves, tightly closing shut-

o[ valves on either side of the check valves, plus properly located test cocks for testing of the check and relief

valves. The entire assembly shall meet the design and performance speciWcations and approval of a recognized

and city-approved testing agency for backXow-prevention assemblies. The device shall operate to maintain the

pressure in the zone between the two check valves at a level less than the pressure on the public water supply

side of the device. In case of leakage of either of the check valves, the di[erential relief valve shall open to the

atmosphere. To be approved, these devices must be readily accessible for in-line maintenance and testing and be

installed according to city standards.

V. Water, Nonpotable. "Nonpotable water" means water which is not safe for human consumption or which is of

questionable potability.

W. Water, Potable. "Potable water" means any water which, according to recognized standards, is safe for human

consumption.

X. "Water service connection" means the terminal end of a service connection from the public potable water

system; i.e., where the water supplier loses jurisdiction and sanitary control over the water at its point of delivery

to the customer’s water system. If a meter is installed at the end of the service connection, then the service

connection shall mean the downstream end of the meter. There should be no unprotected takeo[s from the

service line ahead of any meter or backXow-prevention device located at the point of delivery to the customer’s

waste system. Service connection shall also include water service connection from a Wre hydrant and all other

temporary or emergency water service connections from the public potable water system.

Y. Water, Used. "Used water" means any water supplied by a water supplier from a public potable water system

to a consumer’s water system after it has passed through the point of delivery and is no longer under sanitary

control of the water supplier.

(Ord. 2713 NCS §2 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord. 1697 NCS §1, 1987; Ord. 1677 NCS §2, 1987.)

A. General Premises Requirements. BackXow-prevention devices shall be required by the director of public works

and utilities and chief operator for premises in the following described categories:

 1.   Premises having an auxiliary water supply;

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 2.   Premises on which any substance is handled under pressure in such a fashion as to permit possible

 entry into the city’s distribution system, including water originated from the city’s system which is boosted in

 pressure;

 3.   Premises on which the customer’s system has more than one service connection;

 4.   Premises which, in the opinion of the director of public works and utilities and chief operator, contain

 cross-connections, or the potential for cross-connections, which could result in the pollution or contamination

 of the city water system in the event of backXow or back-siphonage.

B. Approved Back6ow-Prevention Device. Any backXow-prevention device required in this chapter shall be a model

and size approved by the director of public works and utilities and chief operator and appear on the city’s list of

approved backXow-prevention devices. The term "approved backXow-prevention device" means a device that has

been manufactured in full conformance with the standards established by the American Water Works Association

entitled "AWWA C506-69 Standards for Reduced Pressure Principle and Double Check Valve BackXow Prevention

Devices," and have met completely the laboratory and Weld performance speciWcations of the Foundation for

Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research of the University of Southern California established by

"SpeciWcations of BackXow Prevention Devices—No. 69-2," dated March, 1969, or the most current issue.

 1.  The AWWA standards and FCCC and HR speciWcations have been adopted by the director of public works

and utilities and chief operator. Final approval of any device or system proposed for installation under the

terms of this chapter shall be evidenced by a "certiWcate of approval" issued by an approved testing

 laboratory, certifying full compliance with said AWWA standards and FCCC and HR speciWcations.

 2.  The following testing laboratory has been qualiWed by the director of public works and utilities and chief

operator to test and certify backXow preventers:

Foundation for Cross-Connection

Control & Hydraulic Research,

 University of Southern California, University Park

 3.   Testing laboratories other than the laboratory listed above will be accepted as they are qualiWed by the

 director of public works and utilities and chief operator.

C. Speci5c Use and Type Requirements. For the following speciWc uses, and other uses as designated by the chief

operator and director of public works and utilities, the customer shall be required to install a backXow-prevention

device of the type University of Southern California (USC) Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic

Research List of Approved BackXow Prevention Assemblies.

                    Use                                 Type Device

   Animal kennels                               Double check valve

     Auxiliary water systems                       Reduced pressure

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                    Use                                 Type Device

   Beverage bottling plant                        Double check valve

    Buildings with booster pump systems and/or        Air gap

   water storage tanks (Class II Wre system)

   Car washes                                 Reduced pressure

    Film processors                             Reduced pressure

     Fire protection system (Class I)                  Double detector check—Commercial

                                              Double check—Residential

     Fire protection system (Class IV)                 Double detector check valve

     Fire protection systems (Class III, V, VI)           Reduced pressure

     Hospitals/laboratories/clinics                   Reduced pressure

     Industrial and/or commercial (all)               Reduced pressure

     Irrigation systems (all)                        Reduced pressure

    Marinas/boat docks                          Reduced pressure

    Mortuaries, medical, dental building             Reduced pressure

    Multistory buildings (3 or more stories) without    Double check valve—Residential
    booster pump                               Reduced pressure—Commercial

     Plating facilities                              Reduced pressure

   Sand and gravel plants                        Double check valve

    Schools                                    Reduced pressure

   Sewage and storm drain pumping facilities           Air gap

   Swimming pools                             Reduced pressure

   Tank trucks or chemical spray rigs                    Air gap

(Ord. 2713 NCS §2 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord. 1697 NCS §2, 1987; Ord. 1677 NCS §2, 1987.)

     The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

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A. It shall be the customer’s responsibility and at the customer’s expense to install a backXow-prevention device.

B. Only approved backXow-prevention devices, as stated or cited in this chapter, shall be installed. All devices

shall be installed in accordance with city standards and a location approved by the city. At the time an application

for a new water service is made by a potential customer, the director of public works and utilities and chief

operator will review said application to determine the need for a backXow-prevention device. The installation of a

backXow-prevention device on a new water service shall be a condition of water service and meter installation.

The city will inspect the premises of existing water service connections and shall require the installation of a

backXow-prevention device when, in the opinion of the director of public works and utilities and chief operator,

the water connection may be subject to a potential hazard from backXow or back-siphonage. An existing backXow-

prevention device which, in the opinion of the director of public works and utilities and chief operator, is a type

that does not provide adequate protection for the degree of potential hazard from backXow or back-siphonage

shall be upgraded. Installation of a backXow-prevention device, where required by the chief operator and director

of public works and utilities, shall be installed and inspected within sixty days of said notiWcation.

C. All presently installed backXow-prevention devices which do not meet the requirements of this section, but

were approved devices for the purposes described herein at the time of installation and which have been properly

maintained, shall, except for inspection and testing requirements under Section 15.09.060, be excluded from the

requirements of this chapter so long as the director of public works and utilities and chief operator is assured that

the devices will satisfactorily protect the public water system. Whenever an existing backXow-prevention device is

moved from its present location or requires more than minimum maintenance or when the director of public

works and utilities and chief operator Wnds that its maintenance may constitute a hazard to health, the device shall

be replaced in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.

(Ord. 2713 NCS §2 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord. 1677 NCS §2, 1987.)

A. It shall be the responsibility of the customer at any premises where backXow-prevention devices are installed

to have certiWed inspections and operational tests performed at least once per year. In those instances where the

director of public works and utilities and chief operator deems the hazard to be great enough, he may require

certiWed tests at more frequent intervals. Whenever said devices are found to be defective, they shall be repaired

and immediately retested. All tests and repairs shall be performed only by a certiWed tester as stated or cited in

this chapter.

B. All tests and repairs shall be recorded by a certiWed tester on forms provided by the city. The customer shall

ensure all forms are complete and submit them to the city. It shall be the city’s responsibility to ensure these

timely tests and repairs are made and the city shall give the customer at least thirty days’ advance written notice of

said requirements.

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(Ord. 2713 NCS §2 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord. 1677 NCS §2, 1987.)

A. Alternatively, at its options, and upon notiWcation of the customer, approved city personnel may perform any

or all of the inspection, testing, repair or installation of backXow-prevention devices as required by this chapter.

B. The customer shall be responsible to pay the city the actual cost of a backXow-prevention device, its

installation and/or repair.

C. The customer shall be responsible to pay the city any charges for inspection and testing of backXow-

prevention devices as may be set from time to time by the city council.

D. The customer shall be responsible to pay the city for Wne(s) of Wve hundred dollars assessed as a result of

overdue/noncompliant backXow-prevention test report(s). Found in Resolution No. 2017-076 N.C.S, Article V,

tester.

A. Each applicant for certiWcation as a tester of backXow-prevention devices shall Wle an approved application

with the water supplier, together with a fee as may be established by the city council. Competency in all phases of

backXow-prevention device testing and repair must be demonstrated by means of education and/or experience in

order to obtain certiWcation. The following are minimum requirements:

 1.   Satisfactory completion of the course for the training and certiWcation for testers for backXow-prevention

 devices o[ered by the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research, University of

Southern California, or a valid backXow-prevention device tester certiWcate from the American Water Works

 Association (AWWA) California-Nevada Section;

 2.   Each applicant for certiWcation as a tester of backXow-prevention devices shall furnish evidence to show

 that the applicant has available the necessary tools and equipment to properly test such devices.

B. The certiWcation issued to any successful applicant is valid for a time period set by the city and may be

revoked, suspended or not renewed by the city for improper testing, repairs and/or reporting. The tester shall be

responsible for the competency and accuracy of all tests and reports that are prepared for submittal to the city.

The city shall maintain a list of certiWed testers to be used by its customers for the testing and repair of backXow-

prevention devices.

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C. City personnel that have satisfactorily completed training as in subsection (A)(1) of this section and have

demonstrated their competency in all phases of backXow-prevention device testing and repair may be approved

by the director of public works and utilities and chief operator to inspect, test and repair backXow-prevention

devices for the city.

(Ord. 2713 NCS §2 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord. 1677 NCS §2, 1987.)

As a condition of water service for new customers and as a condition of continued water service for existing

customers, the customer may be required to have a backXow-prevention device installed on their private

property. The customer shall permit the city to enter upon the customer’s property within the normal working

hours of the city, or in the case of emergency, at any time, to test, inspect, service, maintain, repair or replace the

backXow-prevention device, as set forth in other sections of this chapter. (Ord. 2713 NCS §2 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord.

1677 NCS §2, 1987.)

A. Water service to any premises may be disconnected by the city, if a backXow-prevention device required by

this chapter is not installed, tested and/or maintained; or if any deWciency is found in the installation or operation

of a backXow-prevention device; or if it is found that a backXow-prevention device has been removed, bypassed or

tampered with; or for nonpayment of any charges as set forth by this chapter.

B. Whenever any premises has been disconnected from the water system for any violation of this chapter, such

premises shall not be reconnected until such violation, condition, or defect is corrected and the customer has paid

a reconnection charge to the city, according to Chapter 15.16.

(Ord. 2713 NCS §2 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord. 1940 NCS §2, 1993.)