Rohnert Park Municipal Code Ch. 13.04 Cross Connection Regulations

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 910, §§ 3, 4, adopted Sept. 26, 2017, repealed the former Ch. 13.04, §§ 13.04.010—13.04.030, and enacted a new Ch. 13.04 as set out herein. The former Ch. 13.04 pertained to city water system and derived from Ord. 76 §§ 1—3, adopted 1967; Ord. 732 § 1, adopted 2005; Ord. 801 § 2, adopted 2008. Similar provisions can be found in Ch. 13.02.

This chapter provides for a reasonable and effective means of protecting the city potable water system, and where appropriate its recycled water system, from backflow, in compliance with the California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Division 1, Chapter 5.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. It is the customer's responsibility to protect the water quality in its system when the city requires a backflow prevention assembly to protect the public system.

B. New potable water service connections shall be installed and existing potable water service connections shall be upgraded to conform to these requirements.

C. Wherever backflow protection has been found necessary on a water supply line entering a customer's premises, then any and all water supply lines from the city's mains entering such premises, buildings, or structures shall be protected by an approved backflow prevention assembly.

D. The provisions and requirements of this chapter are the minimum requirements. Where this chapter imposes a greater restriction than is imposed or required by other laws, rules, regulations, standards or ordinances, of or applicable to the city, the provisions of this chapter shall control and be applied; where such other laws, rules, regulations, standards or ordinances are more restrictive, they shall control and be applied.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. "Approved" means accepted by the city as meeting applicable specifications or as suitable for the proposed use.

B. "Approved device" means a backflow-prevention device which is manufactured in full conformance with the standards established by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and has completely met the laboratory and field performance specifications of the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research (FCCC&HR) of the University of Southern California.

C. "Auxiliary water supply" means any water supply on or available to premises other than potable water supplied by the city potable water system.

D. "AWWA standard" means a standard developed and approved by the American Water Works Association.

E. "Backflow" means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances, under positive or reduced pressure from the customer's system into the city potable water system.

F. "Backflow prevention assembly" means an assembly or means designed to prevent backflow or back-siphonage. Backflow prevention assemblies included the following devices:

1. "Air gap separation (AG)" which is a physical break between the service connection and a receiving vessel on the customer's system, where all piping between the service connection and the receiving vessel is entirely visible and the air-gap separation is greater than one inch and at least double the diameter of the supply pipe, measured vertically from the flood rim of the customer's receiving vessel to the supply pipe from the service connection.

2. "Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly (RP)" is an assembly consisting of two independently operating check valves with an automatically operating differential relief valve located between the two checks, a tightly closing shut-off valve on each side of the check valve assembly, and properly located test cocks for the testing of each check valve and the relief valve.

3. "Double check valve assembly (DC)" is an assembly of two independently operating, spring loaded check valves with tightly closing shut-off valves on each side of the check valve assembly and properly located test cocks for the testing of each check valve.

G. "Backpressure" means a condition in which the owner's system pressure is greater than the city water system pressure.

H. "Back-siphonage" means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances from the customer's system into the city potable water system caused by a reduction or loss of pressure within the city potable water system.

I. "Certified tester" means:

1. A person who is certified by the city to perform testing of backflow prevention devices, who has completed training and received certification by an AWWA sponsored backflow device testing certification program or the University of Southern California Backflow Prevention Device Testing School and who possesses a valid city business license.

2. A service representative of the manufacturer of the backflow-prevention device approved by the engineer and possessing a valid city business license.

3. All city personnel, as authorized by the engineer.

J. "City" means the city of Rohnert Park, California.

K. "City potable water system" means the potable water distribution system owned and operated by the city, including the service connection to a potable water main.

L. "Contamination" means an impairment of the quality of the water supply of the city potable water system by sewage, industrial fluids 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.

M. "Cross-connection" means an unprotected actual or potential connection between the city potable water system and any source or system within a customer's premises and/or customer's system which contains water or any substance that is not or cannot be approved as a potable water supply. Bypass arrangements, jumper connections, removable sections, swivel and changeover devices, or other devices through which backflow or back-siphonage could occur, shall be considered to be cross-connections.

N. "Customer" or "user" means any person obtaining water from the city water supply system.

O. "Customer's system" means the potable water piping system located immediately downstream from a meter.

P. "Degree of hazard" means the potential risk to public health and the adverse effect of the hazard upon the potable water system.

Q. "Engineer" means the city engineer of the city, or a designee.

R. "Health agency" means the California Division of Drinking Water.

S. "Local health agency" means the Sonoma County Department of Health.

T. "Owner" means any person, who has legal title to, or a right to the use or occupancy of, a property.

U. "Nonpotable water" means water which is not safe for human consumption.

V. "Person" means any individual, partnership, company, public or private corporation, political subdivision or agency of the United States State of California or other governmental entity.

W. "Pollutant" means a foreign substance that, if permitted to get in the public water system, will degrade its quality so as to constitute a moderate 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 unreasonable affect such water for domestic use.

X. "Potable water supply: means a water supply which, according to recognized standards and the public health authority having jurisdiction, is safe for human consumption.

Y. "Pollution" means an impairment of the quality of the potable water supply of the city.

Z. "Premises" means a piece of land together with such buildings and appurtenances located thereon.

AA. "Recycled water" means water which, as a result of treatment of waste, is suitable for uses other than potable use.

BB. "Service connection" or "user connection" means the water piping system and/or meter connecting the city potable water system to the customer's system.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. To comply with the California Code of Regulations, the city requires the installation of approved backflow prevention assemblies or air gaps, by and at the expense of the owner, when the degree of hazard in the customer's system so warrants, as solely determined by the city.

B. Backflow prevention devices or air-gaps of a type, manufacture and design approved by the engineer shall be installed by the customer on the customer's system in a location approved by the engineer in the following described categories:

1. Premises having an auxiliary water supply;

2. Premises and/or customer's systems within which any substance is handled under pressure or any other fashion that, in the opinion of the engineer, could potentially permit backflow or back-siphonage into the city potable water system, including water that originated from the city water system;

3. Premises and/or customer's systems which have more than one service connection and which, in the opinion of the engineer, contain cross-connections or the potential for cross-connections which could result in the pollution or the contamination of the city potable water system in the event of backflow or back-siphonage;

4. Premises and/or customer's systems which, in the opinion of the engineer, contain cross-connections or the potential for cross-connections which could result in the pollution or contamination of the potable city water system in the event of backflow or back-siphonage;

5. Premises and/or customer's systems where, in the opinion of the engineer, the potential for contamination is such as to require an air-gap separation system;

6. Premises having a gray water use system as defined by California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 5; and

7. Premises having a recycled water system as defined by the State of California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 4, Chapter 3.

8. On tank trucks and spray tanks of forty-nine gallons or more, that will connect to the city's system.

9. All temporary water cross connections, including but not limited to the use of fire hydrants or blow-offs for construction water, flushing lines, or similar purposes.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

Backflow-prevention devices and air-gaps shall be and remain the property of the customer.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

The type of backflow protection required shall be commensurate with the degree of hazard that exists on the customer's premises. The minimum types of backflow protection required to protect the public water supply, at the customer's water connection to premises with varying degrees of hazard are given in Table 1. The owner may choose a higher level of protection than required by the city. Situations which are not covered in Table 1 shall be evaluated on a case by case basis and the appropriate backflow protection shall be determined by the engineer.

TABLE l

TYPE OF PROTECTION REQUIRED

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. New Service Connections.

1. At the time of application for potable water service, the engineer will review said application to determine the need for a backflow-prevention device or air-gap. If the engineer determines that a backflow-prevention device or air-gap is required, it shall be the customer's responsibility at customer's expense to provide for installation of an approved backflow-prevention device or air-gap in accordance with city standards and at a location approved by the engineer.

2. Installation of a backflow-prevention device or air-gap, where required by the city, shall be a condition of city potable water service and meter installation.

B. Existing Service Connections without Backflow-Prevention Devices or Air-Gaps. The city may inspect the premises of existing customers which, in the opinion of the engineer, may require a backflow-prevention device or air-gap. If the engineer determines that a backflow-prevention device or air-gap is required, the installation of an approved device or air-gap shall be a condition of continued potable water service from the city potable water system to the premises and/or customer's systems.

C. Upgrading of Existing Backflow-Prevention Devices or Air-Gaps. An existing backflow-prevention device or air-gap which, in the opinion of the engineer, is a non-approved device or air-gap that does not provide adequate protection for the degree of potential hazard from the backflow or back-siphonage from a premises and/or customer's systems, shall be upgraded at the customer's expense.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. Each customer shall have each backflow device tested at least annually by a certified tester. All inspections, testing, maintenance, and reporting shall be done at the expense of the customer.

B. The director of public works shall have authority to establish deadlines for submission of annual testing. Where the director of public works determines that there is potential for backflow or back-siphonage they may require tests at intervals that are more frequent by notification in writing.

C. The customer shall be responsible for maintenance and repair of each backflow prevention device required under this chapter. If a device should fail to pass inspection and testing the customer shall, within thirty days after notification of test results, provide for the maintenance and repair of the device.

D. The customer shall maintain any backflow prevention device that is required under this chapter in proper working order as a condition of continued water service. Failure by the customer to install devices required by this chapter, test and report results as required by this chapter, or to timely repair a backflow device within the time allowed by the director of public works, shall subject the customer to a termination of potable water service to the premises.

E. Reports of tests of backflow prevention shall be submitted in a format or a program as approved by the director of public works.

F. The city council may by resolution establish a fee covering the administrative costs to the city of enforcing the monitoring and reporting required under this section. Such fee may be collected in any manner determined appropriate by the director.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017; Ord. No. 963, § 1, 4-26-2022)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 963, § 1, adopted Apr. 26, 2022, amended the title of § 13.04.080 to read as herein set out. The former § 13.04.080 title pertained to testing, maintenance and repair of backflow devices.