Simi Valley Municipal Code Ch. 15 Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 (WWD8) Backflow Prevention…

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Editor's note— Ord. No. WWD-19, § 2, adopted Oct. 6, 2025, effective Nov. 7, 2025, amended Chapter 15 in its entirety to read as herein set out. Former Chapter 15, §§ 6-15.01 6-15.09, pertained to similar subject matter, and derived from WWD-18, effective May 15, 2023.

The District shall protect the public water supply from contamination by the implementation of a cross-connection control program. The program, or any portion thereof, may be implemented directly by the District or by means of a contract with a certified cross-connection control specialist. The District's cross-connection control program shall be for the purpose of addressing the requirements of CCCPH.

The purpose of this chapter is to:

(a) Establish a cross-connection control program and meet the mandates of public health law concerning drinking water supplies as outlined in the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act and in CCCPH;

(b) Protect the District's potable water supply from actual and potential cross-connection by isolating within the property any contamination or pollution that could backflow into the water supply system via an undiscovered or unauthorized cross-connection on the property;

(c) Provide for the maintenance of a continuing cross-connection control program that will systematically and effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of all potable water systems;

(d) Eliminate existing unprotected connections between drinking water systems and other sources of water that are not approved as potable and safe for human consumption;

(e) Eliminate cross-connections between drinking water systems and other sources of water or process water used for any purpose whatsoever that may jeopardize the safety of the potable water system;

(f) Prohibit cross-connections in the future.

The intent is to recognize that there are varying degrees of cross-connection hazards and to apply the principle that the degree of protection should be commensurate with the degree of hazard.

(§ 2, Ord. No. WWD-19, eff. November 7, 2025)

The following terms are defined for the purpose of this ordinance and supported by additional definitions in Section 3.1.1 of the CCCPH:

(a) "Backflow" shall mean the reverse flow of water, or any other fluid or substance or any combination or any mixture thereof, from the customer's system into the District's potable water distribution system.

(b) "Board" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8.

(c) "Backflow Prevention Assembly" shall mean an assembly that protects the District's potable distribution system from backflow.

(d) "Certified tester" shall mean a person able to field test and make reports on backflow prevention assemblies possessing a valid certification issued by a certifying organization recognized by the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board).

(e) "City" shall mean the City of Simi Valley.

(f) "Cross-Connection" shall mean any actual or potential connection between the District's potable water system and any source or system containing unapproved water or a substance that is not or cannot be approved as safe, wholesome, and potable.

(g) "Cross-Connection Control Specialist" shall mean a person certified as a cross-connection control specialist and possessing a valid certification from a certifying organization by the State Water Board.

(h) "Customer or responsible party" shall mean any person that either has applied for water service from the District, or owns or controls water piping or fixtures served by the District's water supply. The terms customer and responsible party have the same meaning.

(i) "Director" shall mean the City of Simi Valley's Public Works' Director.

(j) "District" shall mean the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8, or its authorized representative.

(k) "District Engineer" shall mean the Assistant Public Works Director of Utilities Engineering of the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8.

(l) "District Manager" shall mean the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 Manager.

(m) "Service Area" shall mean areas in which the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 provides potable water service within the City of Simi Valley and some unincorporated areas of Ventura County.

(n) "Service Connection" shall mean the point of connection of a customer's system to the District's water system.

(o) "Water system" shall mean the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 potable water system.

(§ 2, Ord. No. WWD-19, eff. November 7, 2025)

(a) Backflow prevention assemblies shall be required per Section 6-15.04.

(b) Backflow prevention assemblies must be approved by the University of Southern California's Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research.

(c) Backflow prevention assemblies are owned and maintained by the customer.

(d) Customer shall have required backflow prevention assemblies installed in accordance with the District's Water Design and Construction Standards, Section 6-15.07 of this Ordinance, and the California Uniform Plumbing Code.

(e) Customer shall be responsible for inspections, repairs, and proper testing of all backflow prevention assemblies installed on their property in accordance with Section 6-15-.08 of this Ordinance.

(f) Customer shall permit the District, the cross-connection control specialist, and/or a certified tester, to enter customer's property within the normal working hours of the District, or in case of emergency, at any time, to test or inspect the backflow prevention assembly.

(g) Customer shall be responsible for obtaining the required permits to install or replace a backflow prevention assembly.

(h) Backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed on private property, as close as practical to the meter, but no further than ten (10) feet from the public-right-of way or District's easement.

(i) A property with multiple domestic service connections to the water system shall have a backflow prevention assembly installed on each service connection, if required. All service connections shall be protected to the highest degree found during the hazard assessment.

(§ 2, Ord. No. WWD-19, eff. November 7, 2025)

The District has jurisdiction and maintains the water system up to and including the water meter that provides service to a property. All piping beyond the water meter, including backflow prevention assemblies, shall be the responsibility of the customer.

(a) Per Section 3.2.1 of the CCCPH, an initial hazard assessment to evaluate the potential for backflow into a public water system must be conducted. The assessment will include an inspection of the customer's property within its system service area.

The hazard assessment must consider:

(1) The existence of cross-connections;

(2) The type and use of materials handled and present, or likely to be, on the customer's property;

(3) The degree of piping system complexity and accessibility;

(4) Access to auxiliary water supplies, pumping systems, or pressure systems;

(5) Distribution system conditions that increase the likelihood of a backflow event (e.g., hydraulic gradient differences impacted by main breaks and high water demand situations, multiple service connections that may result in flow-through conditions, etc.);

(6) Customer's property accessibility;

(7) Any previous backflow incidents on the customer's property; and

(8) The requirements and information provided in the CCCPH.

Within five (5) business days from receiving notification, the water service customer shall grant designated / contract water staff access to the property and buildings. Failure to provide access may result in water termination.

(b) Each hazard assessment must identify the degree of hazard to the public water systems distribution system as either a high hazard cross-connection, a low hazard cross connection, or having no hazard. Examples of some high hazard cross-connection activities may be found in Appendix D of the CCCPH.

(c) The hazard assessment must determine whether an existing BPA, if any, provides adequate protection based on the degree of hazard.

(d) Hazard assessments completed prior to the adoption of the CCCPH may be considered as an initial hazard assessment, provided that such hazard assessments and associated backflow protection provide protection consistent with the CCCPH and the public water systems describe their review of these assessments in the Cross-Connection Control Plan required in CCCPH Section 3.1.4.

(e) Subsequent to the initial hazard assessment described in subsection (a), a community water system must perform a hazard assessment under the following criteria:

(1) If a customer's property changes account holder, excluding single-family residences;

(2) If a customer's property is new or re-connected to the public water systems;

(3) If evidence exists of changes in the activities or materials on a customer's property;

(4) If a backflow incident occurs from a customer's property;

(5) Periodically, as identified in the public water systems Cross-Connection Control Plan required pursuant to CCCPH section 3.1.4.;

(6) If the State Water Board requests a hazard assessment of a customer's property;

(7) If the public water systems conclude an existing hazard assessment may no longer accurately represent the degree of hazard.

(f) A cross-connection control specialist must review or conduct each initial and follow up hazard assessment pursuant to this section and make a written finding that, in the specialist's judgment based on cross-connection control principles, the public water systems hazard assessment properly identified all hazards at the time of the assessment, the appropriate degree of hazards, and the corresponding backflow protection.

(§ 2, Ord. No. WWD-19, eff. November 7, 2025)

The District may require appropriate backflow prevention assemblies to be installed and tested for all temporary water service connections to eliminate the potential for any backflow.

(§ 2, Ord. No. WWD-19, eff. November 7, 2025)

For properties having private booster pumps to address low water pressure or special operations, the booster pump shall be equipped with a low-pressure cutoff switch designed to shut off the pump when the water pressure on the inlet side is twenty-five (25) pounds-per-square-inch or lower.

Private booster pump installations within the City of Simi Valley shall be subject to approval by the Environmental Services Department, Building and Safety Division. Private booster pump installations outside of the City of Simi Valley boundary, but within the District's service area shall be subject to approval by the Ventura County Building and Safety Division.

(§ 2, Ord. No. WWD-19, eff. November 7, 2025)

(a) Backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed in accordance with the CCCPH, the Waterworks District No. 8 Water and Design Construction Standards (WDCS), the California Uniform Plumbing Code, and the most recent edition of the USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research.

(b) When a new water service is requested for a proposed development, the District will review the application to determine the required type of backflow prevention assembly. It shall be the customer's responsibility and expense to have the required backflow prevention assembly installed. No connections shall be permitted between the water meter and the backflow prevention assembly.

(c) An existing backflow prevention assembly that does not provide adequate protection for the degree of potential hazard from backflow must be replaced at the customer's expense.

(d) No modifications to, or removals of approved backflow prevention assemblies shall be permitted unless approved by the District in writing.

(e) All newly installed and approved backflow prevention assemblies must be tested and certified as functioning properly prior to the water service being turned on.

(§ 2, Ord. No. WWD-19, eff. November 7, 2025)

(a) Approved backflow prevention assemblies shall be tested by a certified tester using test procedures outlined in the most recent edition of the Manual of Cross-Connection Control published by the USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research.

(b) Backflow prevention assemblies shall be tested at least annually, or more frequently if determined necessary by the cross-connection control specialist. The District shall notify customers when annual testing is required, and the notice shall contain the date when the test must be completed, and test results submitted.

(c) Backflow prevention assemblies that fail to pass testing shall be repaired and retested immediately, at the expense of the customer. The backflow prevention assembly must not be placed in service unless the assembly is functioning as required.

(d) For backflow prevention assemblies that fail to pass inspection and testing, the District reserves the right to require more frequent testing or to perform additional testing by a certified tester when the District determines it to be in the public interest. Customer shall bear the cost of additional tests.

(e) If customers do not test their backflow prevention assembly and their assembly is out of compliance with the annual test requirement, the District reserves the right to have the assembly tested by a certified tester and charge the customer accordingly. Charges shall consist of a penalty fee, an inspection fee, testing fee, and any associated costs of repairing/replacing the backflow prevention assembly.

(f) The certified tester must complete and upload the assembly test report to the public water service backflow portal demonstrating testing and inspection compliance within thirty (30) days of the annual notice. If the certified tester does not submit the test results within thirty (30) days, the District shall assess a penalty fee and send a second notice to the customer. The second notice shall notify the customer that water service to the property will be terminated if test results are not submitted by the date specified on the second notice.

(g) The customer shall at all times maintain the backflow prevention assembly in proper working order and provide unobstructed access to the District, cross-connection control specialist, and certified tester.

(§ 2, Ord. No. WWD-19, eff. November 7, 2025)

(a) Where a property has alternative water sources or operate processes that utilize non-potable water or other fluids, cross-connections from these sources or facilities are prohibited. For properties within the City boundary, the City of Simi Valley's Building and Safety Division shall inspect and approve all on-site plumbing downstream of the District-required backflow prevention assemblies and ensure that there are no such cross-connections. For properties outside of the City boundary but within the District's service area, the Ventura County Building and Safety Division shall conduct the inspection.

(b) The customer shall secure a Building Permit from their respective Building and Safety Divisions to ensure the required inspection and approval prior to modifying on-site plumbing that may result in a cross-connection.

(c) The cross-connection control specialist shall have access to inspect on-site facilities to check for cross-connections and to determine if the potable water system is protected from backflow.

(§ 2, Ord. No. WWD-19, eff. November 7, 2025)

(a) For each water customer that fails to have a satisfactory hazard assessment performed, for each water customer that fails to have the appropriate required backflow prevention assembly installed or replaced, and for each backflow prevention assembly that is out of compliance with the annual test requirement, the District shall, as necessary, apply any of the following enforcement measures:

(1) Deny or discontinue water service to a water user

(2) Use of penalty fine(s) on water users, per the current fees in the City of Simi Valley's Summary of Service of Charges

(3) Install, inspect, field test, and/or maintain a BPA at a water user's premises and charge the customer a penalty fee equivalent to the full cost recovery of all materials and staff time per the current fees in the City of Simi Valley's Summary of Service of Charges.

(§ 2, Ord. No. WWD-19, eff. November 7, 2025)