[Added 12-10-2001 by Ord. No. 512]
No water service connection shall be installed
or maintained to any premises where actual or potential cross-connections
to this water system may exist. This prohibition shall include cross-connections
with the private system of a consumer which are utilized in conveying
water from this water system to points of use. No person shall install
or maintain any connection whereby water from an auxiliary water supply
may enter the water system or the private system unless such auxiliary
water supply and the method of connection and use of such supply shall
have been approved by the Borough.
The owner of any premises shall install an approved
backflow preventor prior to the first branch line leading off each
service line to the private system of the premises which was in service
on January 21, 1993, where, in the judgment of the Borough, an actual
or potential hazard to the water system exists.
A.
An approved backflow preventor shall be installed
on each service line to a private system where the following conditions
exist:
(1)
Systems having an auxiliary water supply, unless the
Borough accepts such auxiliary supply as an additional source and
the DEP approves the additional source.
(2)
Systems where any substance is handled in such a fashion
as to create an actual or potential hazard to the water system. This
shall include systems having sources or auxiliary systems containing
process fluids or waters originating from the water system which are
no longer under the sanitary control of the Borough.
(3)
Systems having internal cross-connections that, in
the judgment of the Borough, are not correctable or intricate plumbing
arrangements which make it impractical to determine whether or not
cross-connections exist.
(4)
Systems where, because of security requirements or
other prohibitions or restrictions, it is impossible or impractical
to make a complete cross-connection survey.
(5)
Systems having a repeated history of cross-connections
being established or reestablished.
(6)
Others specified by the Borough.
B.
An approved backflow preventor shall be installed
on each service line to a private system serving, but not necessarily
limited to, the following types of facilities unless the Borough determines
that no actual or potential hazard to the water system exists.
(1)
Hospitals, mortuaries, clinics, nursing homes, and
medical and dental offices.
(2)
Laboratories.
(3)
Laundromats.
(4)
Sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping station or
stormwater pumping station.
(5)
Food or beverage processing plants.
(6)
Chemical plants.
(7)
Metal plating industries.
(8)
Petroleum processing or storage plants.
(9)
Radioactive material processing plants.
(10)
Car wash or truck wash.
(11)
Restaurants and catering operations.
(12)
Barbershops and beauty shops.
(13)
Gasoline stations and motor vehicle repair or
service facilities.
(14)
Schools.
(15)
Industrial and manufacturing uses.
(16)
Textile related industries.
(17)
Furniture stripping and refinishing operations.
(18)
Others specified by the Borough.
C.
The owner of a premises shall install an approved
backflow preventor within 120 days after receipt of notification from
the Borough that a backflow preventor is required to be installed.
D.
An approved backflow preventor shall not be required
to be installed on any fire suppression system existing as of January
21, 1993, where the lateral connected to the water system is used
to provide service solely to the fire suppression system. If the lateral
which connects to the water system is also used to provide water for
other purposes within the premises, the owner shall install a backflow
preventor in accordance with the requirements of this article. The
owner of a premises shall install backflow preventors upon all new
fire suppression systems and upon all fire suppression systems which
are substantially modified and/or upgraded between the point of connection
of the lateral with the water system and the first line of sprinkler
heads. Owners of premises containing fire suppression systems which
are not required to install backflow preventors under the terms of
this subsection shall annually have the fire suppression system inspected
to insure that the first check valve(s) downstream from the water
system installed as a part of the fire suppression system is in operating
condition. The inspection shall be performed by a member of the National
Fire Sprinkler Association or other qualified inspector acceptable
to the Borough. A copy of the inspection report shall be provided
to the Borough upon completion of the inspection.
All residential and nonresidential customers
which shall connect to the water system after January 21, 1993, shall
install an approved backflow preventor in accordance with the requirements
of this article. The backflow preventor shall be inspected by a representative
of the Borough prior to commencement of water service.
The failure or refusal to install a backflow
preventor when notified by the Borough that a backflow preventor is
required to be installed or the failure to install a backflow preventor
in the private system of any person who becomes a consumer of the
water system after January 21, 1993, shall be grounds for termination
of water service. Water service shall not be restored to the premises
until the owner has installed a backflow preventor in accordance with
the requirements of this article and such backflow preventor has been
inspected by a Borough representative and all fees required for the
reestablishment of water service have been paid.
The type of protection required under §§ 196-31 and 196-32 of this article shall depend on the degree of hazard which exists as follows:
A.
An approved air gap separation shall be installed
where the water system may be contaminated with substances that are
dangerous to the public health and could cause a severe health hazard.
B.
An approved air gap separation or an approved reduced
pressure zone backflow prevention device shall be installed where
the water system may be contaminated with a substance that could cause
a system or health hazard.
A.
Any backflow preventor required by this article shall
be of a model or construction approved by the Borough and shall comply
with the following:
(1)
The air gap separation shall be at least twice the
diameter of the supply pipe, measured vertically above the top rim
of the vessel, but in no case less than one inch.
(2)
A backflow preventor to be installed in any building
containing more than one residential dwelling unit or any nonresidential
use shall be a device that has been manufactured in full conformance
with standards established by the AWWA entitled AWWA C510 Double Check
Valve Backflow Prevention Assembly and AWWA C511 Reduced Pressure-Principle
and Backflow Prevention Assembly. The Borough hereby adopts said AWWA
standards. Final approval, however, of the reduced-pressure principle
backflow preventor and the double check valve assembly shall be evidenced
by a certificate of full approval issued by an approved testing laboratory
certifying full compliance with the AWWA standards.
(3)
A backflow preventor to be installed in any building containing not more than one residential dwelling unit shall be a device that has been manufactured in full conformance with standards established by ASSE Standard 1024 or a device which complies with the standards incorporated by Subsection A(2) above.
(4)
An interchangeable connection to be approved shall
be either a swing type connector or a four-way valve of the lubricated
plug type that operates through a mechanism which unseats the plug,
turns it 90° and reseats the plug. Four-way valves shall not be
used as stop valves but shall have separate stop valves on each pipe
connected to the valve. The telltale port on the four-way valves shall
have no piping connected and the threads or flange on this port shall
be destroyed so that a connection cannot be made.
B.
Existing backflow preventors approved by the Borough at the time of installation and properly maintained shall, except for inspection and maintenance requirements, be excluded from the requirement of Subsection A above, provided the Borough is assured that they will satisfactorily protect the water system. Whenever the existing device is moved from the present location or requires more than minimum maintenance or when the Borough finds that the maintenance of the device constitutes a hazard to health, the device shall be replaced by a backflow preventor meeting the requirements of this article.
C.
An approved air gap separation or an approved reduced
pressure zone backflow preventor or an approved double check valve
assembly shall be installed where the water system may be polluted
with substances that would be objectionable but not dangerous to health.
A.
The owner of the premises shall be responsible to
install any backflow preventor this article requires at a location
and in a manner approved by the Borough and by a person properly qualified.
B.
Backflow preventors installed on the service line
to a private system shall be located on the consumer's side of the
water meter, as close to the meter as reasonably practical, and prior
to any other connection.
C.
Pits or vaults shall be of watertight construction,
be so located and constructed as to prevent flooding and shall be
maintained free from standing water by means of either a sump pump
or a suitable drain. Such sump pump or drain shall not connect to
a sanitary sewer nor permit flooding of the pit or vault by reverse
flow from its point of discharge. Vaults or pits shall be a minimum
twenty-four-inch diameter manhole access opening or a 24 inch by 24
inch access hatch. An access ladder and adequate natural or artificial
lighting shall be provided to permit maintenance inspection and testing
of the backflow preventor. Vault or pit construction shall conform
to ASTM C-478 for round vaults or ACI 318 for rectangular vaults.
All vault or pit joint sealing materials and pipe gasketing materials
shall conform to the requirements identified in the section governing
construction of manholes and all vault or pit access steps shall conform
to the requirements for manhole steps in the Rules and Regulations
Concerning Extensions of the Borough's Sewer System.
The owner of the premises shall properly maintain
all backflow preventors and appurtenances installed to insure proper
functioning of the backflow preventor. As part of this maintenance,
the consumer shall insure that adequate clearances are maintained
around the backflow preventor to permit inspection by Borough representatives.
[Amended 3-26-2018 by Ord. No. 645]
All owners of residential dwelling units in
which backflow preventers have been installed shall permit Borough
representatives access to the installation of the backflow preventer
at reasonable times for the purpose of inspecting the backflow preventer
to ensure proper installation and functioning. Owners of nonresidential
uses shall ensure that the backflow preventer is inspected once every
three years to ensure proper installation and functioning. Such inspections
shall be performed by a certified backflow prevention device tester,
and the property owner shall forward a copy of the inspection report
to the Borough no later than December 31 of the third year following
the last inspection. Refusal to permit access to the backflow preventer
for Borough inspection or refusal to submit an inspection report by
a certified backflow prevention device tester as set forth herein
shall be grounds for termination of water service in order to ensure
the safety of the water system by the prevention of backflow into
the water system.
