Thousand Oaks Municipal Code Art. 6 Cross Connection and Backflow Prevention

Cross connection can be defined as any unprotected connection between any part of a water system used or intended to supply water for drinking purposes and any source or system containing water or substances that are not or cannot be approved as safe, wholesome, and potable for human consumption. The term is used in conjunction with backflow prevention. Bypass arrangements, jumper connections, removable sections and other devices through which backflow can occur are considered cross connections. Backflow is the physical process by which contaminants can enter the potable water supply.

No water service connection to any premises shall be installed or maintained by the Public Works Department unless the water supply is protected as required by said State regulations and the provisions of this section.

The purposes of the provisions in this section are to:

(a) Protect the public water supply against actual or potential cross connections by isolating within the premises contamination and pollution that may occur because of some undiscovered or unauthorized cross connection on the premises;

(b) Eliminate known cross connections.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

(a) All regulations of the Department of Public Health of the State, Title 17 of the California Administrative Code are adopted and made a part of this section by reference or other applicable codes and/or standards.

(b) Section 12 of the Water Design and Construction Standards shall apply and supplement the information contained herein. That section of the Standards, defines various types of backflow prevention as well as presents the list of approved devices.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

The Cross Connection Control Officer for the City is appointed by the Public Works Director and is responsible for overseeing that backflow prevention devices are properly installed, maintained and tested. The area of responsibility for the Cross Connection Control Officer shall be limited to the City's water service area.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

(a) Approval and installation. Both the selection and installation of backflow prevention devices required by the provisions of this section shall be approved by the City and shall be installed by and at the expense of the customer.

(b) Testing and maintenance. The devices shall be tested annually by a certified tester with repairs and maintenance as needed. Records of such tests and repairs shall be kept by the customer and made available to the Cross Connection Control Officer. All of the above shall be at the sole cost of the customer. A property owner failure or refusal to have a device tested, or take corrective action to repair any backflow device which has failed its annual test is a public nuisance under TOMC Section 1-6.01 et seq. As additional to remedies provided therein, the City may hire a company to perform the annual test and/or repair the failed device, and the property owner shall be billed for all charges paid to said company, along with any manpower or out-of-pocket costs or charges incurred by the City or any other additional charges or fees as may be set by the Council action. As an alternative, with an owner who refuses to repair a failed backflow device, the City may, after giving thirty (30) days written notice to the property owner, shut off the domestic water supply to the premises which is to be protected by said backflow device until such time as the device has been repaired by the property owner.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

Service of water to any premises may be discontinued by the Public Works Department if a required backflow preventive device is not installed, inspected, tested, properly operating and maintained, or if it is found to have been removed or bypassed, or if unprotected cross connections exist on the premises. In such cases, service shall not be restored until such conditions or defects are corrected to the satisfaction of the Cross Connection Control Officer.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

Backflow devices are required at or near the point of service from the public potable water system to any location:

(a) Having an auxiliary supply, including a groundwater well;

(b) Where chemicals are manufactured or processed or are used within the premises that could be potentially harmful;

(c) Where hospitals or doctors' offices, either for humans or animals, with medical and surgical facilities are maintained;

(d) Where oils and gasses are produced or developed;

(e) Where there is a mortuary;

(f) Where there is food processing;

(g) Where there is a landscape irrigation system;

(h) Where natural and synthetic rubber, rubber goods and tires are manufactured;

(i) Where a brewery is operated;

(j) Where the use within the building might impart an objectionable taste, odor or color;

(k) Where there is a wastewater treatment facility or pumping station;

(l) Where there is need for a backflow prevention device for protection of the public potable system.

Backflow prevention devices fall into the following categories: Reduced pressure principle device (RP), double check detector valve, air gap, pressure vacuum breaker, and atmospheric vacuum breaker. The specific device required for a particular location shall be per the Water Design and Construction Standards or as required by the Cross Connection Control Officer.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

The following rules are to be used in conjunction with those rules contained in Title17 of the California Administrative Code and Section 12 of the Water Design and Construction Standards as well as the judgment of the Cross Connection Control Officer. These rules are aimed at protecting the City's water system near the water meter as opposed to internal protection within a building where such internal protection is provided and is approved by the City's Cross Connection Control Officer, protection at the meter may not be required.

(a) Requirement for devices. Any service connection to the public water system from a premises having a potential for harmful or objectionable substances to enter the public water system through backflow cross connections shall be protected.

(b) Auxiliary water supply. Whenever a building or premises has a connection to both the public water system and an auxiliary water supply, the latter shall be protected with either a reduced pressure device or a double check valve depending upon the potential and severity of the cross connection, unless the system was accepted by the City as an additional source of public system water.

(c) Air gaps. Are required at the service connection to any premises on which any material dangerous to health or toxic in nature may be handled under pressure. Also, air gaps shall be used to protect the potable system at wastewater treatment or pumping facilities. The air gap shall be located as close as practicable to the service cock. Other types of devices would only be approved if the air gap is not physically possible.

(d) Reduced pressure principle devices. Are required at industrial and/or commercial facilities using potentially harmful chemicals, hospitals, doctor's offices, irrigation systems (unless protected by air gap or pressure vacuum breaker), fire sprinkler systems using chemical additives, mortuaries, and as required by the Cross Connection Control Officer.

(e) Double check valve assemblies. Are required where products used within the building or premises might impact an objectionable taste, odor or color but would not be hazardous.

(f) Double check detector valves. Are required where there is no other meter between the water source and the building such as a fire service line for building.

(g) Whenever it is not practical to protect drinking water systems on premises against the entry of water from a source or piping system or equipment that cannot be approved as safe or potable for human use, an entirely separate potable water system shall be installed to supply water at points convenient for consumers.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

Water systems for fighting fire, derived from a supply not approved as safe for potable use shall be kept wholly separate from the potable system. In cases where the domestic water system is used for both drinking and firefighting purposes, approved backflow prevention devices shall be installed to protect the domestic system. Fire protection classes and required devices are as follows:

(a) Classes I and II. Direct connections from the public water mains only; no tanks, reservoirs, or physical connection from other water supplies, no anti-freeze or, other additives, no booster pumps creating less than a positive ten (10) psi suction pressure; all outlets discharging to atmosphere. Generally, Classes I and II do not require backflow prevention devices (i.e., at fire hydrants connected to public main).

(b) Class III. Direct connection from public water system plus either elevated storage tank, fire pumps taking suction from such tanks/reservoirs, or pressure tanks. The water in the storage tanks shall be potable. Generally, Class III requires only double check valves to prevent stagnant waters from backflowing into the potable system.

(c) Classes IV, V and VI. Like Class I and II, but with an auxiliary water supply within one thousand two hundred (1,200') feet of the pumper connection. This class requires a reduced pressure device or double check valve depending upon the quality of the auxiliary water supply. If auxiliary supply is nonpotable source such as contaminated water, industrial water systems or contains chemical additives, an air gap may be required.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

Potable water pipelines connected to equipment for industrial processes or operations shall be disconnected therefrom if practicable. Where disconnection is not practicable, a suitable backflow prevention device located beyond the last point from which drinking water may be taken shall be provided on the feed line to process piping or equipment. In the event the particular process liquid is especially corrosive or apt to prevent reliable action of the backflow prevention device, air gap separation shall be provided.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

Where the premises contain dual or multiple water systems and piping, the exposed portions of pipelines shall be painted, banded, or marked at sufficient intervals to distinguish clearly which water is safe and which is not safe. All outlets from secondary or other potentially contaminated systems shall be posted as being contaminated and unsafe for drinking purposes. All outlets intended for drinking, purposes shall be plainly marked to indicate that fact.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

All building plumbing and fixtures shall be per the requirements of the California Plumbing Code as amended by the City. The Public Works Department shall have the primary responsibility to prevent water from unapproved sources, or any substance, from entering the public water system. The Community Development Department shall also have jurisdiction over the plumbing on the customer's side of the backflow prevention device. The Cross Connection Control Officer shall also have access to the on-site facilities to determine if the potable system is adequately protected.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

Each premises having potential cross connections or requiring backflow prevention and where deemed necessary by the Cross Connection Control Officer shall have a designated person responsible for the installation and maintenance of backflow prevention equipment.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

No person shall install, maintain, or use any water treatment mechanism, device, or contrivance on any domestic water supply line, or introduce any chemical into any domestic water supply line to or within any consumer premises, in any manner without the prior written approval and authorization of the Health Department and the water purveyor. In the event of any violation of the provisions of this subsection, the water purveyor shall notify the owner, or authorized agent of the owner, of the violating premises of such violation. The water purveyor shall set a reasonable time, not to exceed ten (10) days, for the owner to have the violation removed or corrected. Upon the failure of the owner to have the violation corrected by the end of the specified time interval, the water purveyor, if in his judgment an imminent health hazard exists, may cause the water service to the building or premises to be terminated until the violation is corrected as provided in this subsection.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

Fees for plan checking for backflow devices, for the initial inspection and testing of backflow devices, and for yearly testing (where done by the City) shall be set by Council action.

(Ord. 1515-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)