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.
(4) Sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping station or
stormwater pumping station.
(5) Food or beverage processing plants.
(7) Metal plating industries.
(8) Petroleum processing or storage plants.
(9) Radioactive material processing plants.
(11)
Restaurants and catering operations.
(12)
Barbershops and beauty shops.
(13)
Gasoline stations and motor vehicle repair or
service facilities.
(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.
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.