[Added 3-20-2006 by L.L. No. 3-2006]
The following definitions shall apply in the
interpretation and enforcement of this policy:
One in which substances are present which if introduced into
the public water supply system could be a nuisance to other water
customers, but would not adversely affect human health.
The unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere
between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet supply water to
a tank, plumbing fixture, or other device and the overflow level rim
of the receptacle, and shall be at least double the diameter of the
supply pipe measured vertically above the flood level rim of the vessel,
but in no case less than one inch.
A person certified by the New York State Health Department
as a General or Limited Tester in accordance with Section 5-1.31(a)(3)
of the New York State Sanitary Code.
Any person designated by the Village to administer this article.
Any water source or system, other than the Village, that
may be available in the building or premises. This does not include
other permitted public water supply systems.
The flow, other than the intended direction of flow, of any
foreign liquids, gases, used water or substances into the distribution
system of a public water supply system.
Any device, method, or type of construction intended to prevent
backflow into the public water supply system.
Any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or agency
or their authorized agent receiving water from the Village.
All service pipe, all distribution piping and all appurtenances
beyond the shut-off valve of the public water system.
An introduction of any sewage, process fluids, chemicals,
wastes or any other substance that would be objectionable. Contamination
may be a threat to life or health, or may cause an aesthetic deterioration,
color, taste or odor.
Any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise
separate piping systems, one of which contains potable water of the
public water supply system, and the second, water of unknown or questionable
safety, or steam, gases, chemicals, or substances whereby there may
be backflow from the second system to the public water supply system.
No physical cross-connection shall be permitted between a public water
supply system and an auxiliary water supply system.
An evaluation of the potential risk to public health and
the adverse effect of the hazard upon anyone using the water.
One in which substances may be present which, if introduced into the public water system, would or may endanger or have an adverse effect on the health of other water customers. See § 141-52C of this policy.
Any condition, device, or practice in the public water supply
system which could create or may create a danger to the health and
well being of anyone using the water or allow contamination of the
water.
One which does not require the installation of an acceptable
backflow prevention device.
The water supply source, distribution system and appurtenances
to the service meter operated as a public utility which supplies potable
water to the consumer's water systems.
The public water system and the consumer's water systems.
The terminal end of the service line from the public water
system. If a meter is installed at the end of the service, then the
service connection means the downstream end of the meter.
A.
Purpose. The purpose of this policy is:
(1)
To protect the public water supply system from contamination.
(2)
To promote the elimination, containment, isolation,
or control of existing cross-connections, actual or potential, between
the public water supply system and nonpotable water systems, plumbing
fixtures and industrial process systems or other systems which introduce
or may introduce contaminants into the public water system or the
consumer's water system.
(3)
To provide for the maintenance of a continuing program
of cross-connection control to prevent the contamination of the public
and consumer's potable water supply system.
B.
Applicability. This article shall apply to all consumers'
water systems. The Village may also require cross-connection control
devices at the service connections of other permitted public water
supply systems served by the Village.
C.
Intent. This policy will be reasonably interpreted
by the Village. It is the intent of the Village to recognize the varying
degrees of hazard and to apply the principle that the degree of protection
shall be commensurate with the degree of hazard. The following is
a minimum:
|
Degree of Hazard of Facility
|
Protection Required
|
|---|---|
|
Hazardous
|
Either an air gap or a reduced pressure zone
(RPZ) device
|
|
Aesthetically objectionable
|
Double check valve assembly
|
|
Nonhazard
|
Internal plumbing control
|
D.
General policy.
(1)
The Village of Warwick shall be responsible for cross-connection
control of the public water supply system from contamination due to
backflow or back siphonage of contaminants through the customer's
water service connection. If, in accordance with Part 5-1.31 of the
New York State Sanitary Code, hereinafter referred to as the "code,"
or in the judgment of the Village or its authorized representative,
an approved backflow prevention device is necessary for the safety
of the public water supply system, notice will be given to the water
customer to install such an approved device immediately. The water
customer shall, at his own expense, install such an approved device
at a location and in a manner in accordance with the code and all
applicable local regulations and shall have inspections and tests
made of such approved device upon installation and as required by
the code and this article.
(2)
No person, firm or corporation shall establish or
permit to be established or maintain or permit to be maintained any
connection whereby a private auxiliary or emergency water supply other
than the regular public water supply of the Village or distribution
system of said municipality may enter the supply or distribution system
of such municipality, unless such private, auxiliary or emergency
water supply and use of such supply shall have been approved by the
Village. The method of connection shall conform to the rules and regulations
of the code and shall be approved by the Village or authorized representatives.
(3)
It shall be the duty of the Village or authorized
representatives to cause surveys and investigations to be made of
industrial, commercial, and other properties served by the public
water supply to determine whether or not actual or potential hazards
to the public water supply may exist. Such surveys and investigations
shall be made a matter of record and shall be repeated at least every
two years or as often as the Village shall deem necessary. Completion
of these surveys is mandatory. Failure to submit a completed survey
will be considered a violation of this article and will subject the
offending consumer to a discontinuation of water service. Records
of such surveys shall be maintained by the Village and available for
review for a period of at least five years.
(4)
If ordered by the Village, any owner of property served
by a connection to the public water supply or distribution system
of the Village shall procure the services of a licensed cross-connection
control device inspector for the purpose of verifying the presence
or absence of cross-connections, and the Director of Community Development
or authorized agent shall have the right to request entry at any reasonable
time to any property served by a connection to the public water supply
or distribution system of the Village for the purpose of verifying
information submitted by the customer regarding the required cross-connection
control inspection. Upon request, the owner, lessees or occupants
of any property so served shall furnish to the Village any information
regarding the piping system or systems or water use on such property.
The refusal of such information, when demanded, shall, within the
discretion of the Village, be deemed evidence of the presence of cross-connections,
as provided in this article.
(5)
The Village is hereby authorized to direct and request
the Department of Public Works to discontinue, and the Department
of Public Works is authorized to discontinue, after reasonable notice
to the occupant and/or owner thereof, the water service to any property
wherein any connection in violation of the provisions of this article
is known to exist, and to take such other precautionary measures deemed
necessary to eliminate any danger of contamination of the public water
supply distribution mains. Water service to such property shall not
be restored until such conditions have been eliminated or corrected
in compliance with the provisions of this article. Immediate disconnection
with verbal notice can be effected when the Village or the Department
of Public Works is assured that imminent danger of harmful contamination
of the public water supply system exists. Such action shall be followed
by written notification of the cause of disconnection. Immediate disconnection
without notice to any party can be effected to prevent actual or anticipated
contamination or pollution of the public water supply, provided that,
in the reasonable opinion of the Village, or the Department of Public
Works or authorized agent(s), such action is required to prevent actual
or potential contamination or pollution of the public water supply.
Neither the Village, Department of Public Works, nor its agents or
assigns shall be liable to any customer for any injury, damages nor
lost revenues which may result from termination of said customer's
water supply in accordance with the terms of this article, whether
or not said termination was with or without notice.
(6)
A backflow prevention device approved by the Village,
authorized representative(s), and OCHD shall be installed on all service
connections to the Village water supply at a location and in a manner
in accordance with the code and all applicable local regulations and
shall have inspections and tests made of such approved device upon
installation and as required by the code and this article.
(7)
An approved backflow prevention device shall be installed
on each service line to a consumer's water system, including, but
not limited to, situations where the following conditions exist:
(a)
Premises having auxiliary water supply, unless
such auxiliary supply is accepted as an additional source by the Village.
(b)
Upon a change of ownership of property not having
an approved backflow prevention device. The new water customer at
a subject premises shall install, test, and submit a copy of said
test results to the Village within 60 days of the closing for the
property.
(c)
Any action requiring site plan approval from
the Village Planning Board. The water customer at a subject premises
shall install, test, and submit a copy of said test results to the
Village within 60 days of submission of the application to the Planning
Board.
(d)
Any new modifications to an existing resident
or commercial property requiring a building permit. The water customer
of the premises shall install, test, and submit a copy of said test
results to the Village within 60 days of receiving the building permit.
(e)
That all new residential and nonresidential
water services requiring water from the Village's public water system
shall have an appropriate backflow prevention device installed prior
to water service activation.
(f)
That all existing nonresidential water services
and irrigation or water only which have an approved backflow prevention
assembly shall immediately begin, upon written notification from the
Village, an annual testing and certification program for their approved
backflow prevention assembly.
(g)
That all existing single-family residential
water services connected to the Village's public water system shall
be required to retrofit the appropriate backflow prevention device
as a water meter replacement occurs for each such water service, beginning
approximately six months after the effective date of this policy.
A.
Water service connection. No water service connection
shall be installed or maintained to any premises where actual or potential
cross-connections to the public water supply system may exist unless
such actual or potential cross-connections are abated or controlled
with the installation, continual testing, and maintenance of approved
cross-connection control devices or methods which are to the satisfaction
of the Village or its authorized representative.
B.
Auxiliary water supply. No connection shall be installed
or maintained whereby an auxiliary water supply may enter a public
water supply system.
A.
Property access. The consumer's premises shall be
open at all reasonable times to the Village or its authorized representative,
for the conduction of surveys and investigation of water use practices
within the consumer's premises to determine whether there are actual
or potential cross-connections in the consumer's water system.
B.
Information request. On request by the Village or
its authorized representative, the consumer shall furnish requested
information on water use practices and the piping system(s) within
his premises and in the consumer's water system.
C.
Survey. On request by the Village or its authorized
representative, the consumer shall conduct periodic surveys of water
use practices on the premises of the consumer's water system to determine
whether there are actual or potential cross-connections. The consumer
shall provide the survey results to the Village or its authorized
representative.
D.
Inspection. The consumer, if ordered by the Village
or its authorized representative, shall procure the services of an
approved cross-connection control device inspector for the inspection
of the presence or absence of cross-connections within the consumer's
premises and for testing, repair, and maintenance of cross-connection
control devices within the consumer's premises, and the consumer shall
be responsible for all costs related thereto.
A.
Actual or potential cross-connection. An approved
backflow prevention device shall be installed on each service line
to a consumer's water system serving premises where, in the judgment
of the Village or its authorized representative or the Orange County
Health Department (OCHD), actual or potential cross-connections exist.
The type and degree of protection required shall be commensurate with
the degree of hazard and/or type of contamination that may enter the
public water supply system.
B.
Health hazard. An approved air gap separation or reduced
pressure principle backflow prevention device shall be installed at
the service connection or within any premises where, in the judgment
of the Village or its authorized representative or the OCHD, the nature
and extent of activities on the premises, or the materials used in
connection with the activities, or materials stored on the premises,
would present a health hazard or contamination of the public water
supply system from a cross-connection. This includes but is not limited
to the following situations:
(1)
Premises having auxiliary water supply unless the
quality of the auxiliary supply is acceptable to the Village or its
authorized representative and the OCHD.
(2)
Premises having internal plumbing arrangements which
make it impractical to ascertain whether or not cross-connections
exist.
(3)
Premises where entry is restricted so that inspection
for cross-connections cannot be made with or at sufficient frequency
or sufficiently short notice to assure that cross-connections do not
exist.
(4)
Premises having a repeated history of cross-connections
being established or reestablished.
(5)
Premises which, due to the nature of the enterprise
therein, are subject to recurring modification or expansion.
(6)
Premises on which any substance is handled under pressure
so as to permit entry into the public water supply system, or where
a cross-connection could reasonably be expected to occur. This shall
include the handling of process wastes and cooling waters.
(7)
Premises where toxic or hazardous materials are handled.
C.
Facilities requiring backflow device. The following
types of facilities fall into one or more of the categories of premises
where an approved air gap separation or reduced pressure principle
backflow prevention device may be required by the Village or its authorized
representative or the OCHD to protect the public water supply and
must be installed at these facilities unless all hazardous or potentially
hazardous conditions have been eliminated or corrected by other methods
to the satisfaction of the Village or its authorized representative
and the OCHD:
(1)
Agricultural chemical facilities;
(2)
Auxiliary water systems and wells;
(3)
Boilers;
(4)
Bulk water loading facilities;
(5)
Car washing facilities;
(6)
Chemical manufacturing, processing, compounding or
treatment plants;
(7)
Cooling towers;
(8)
Feedlots;
(9)
Hazardous waste storage and disposal sites;
(10)
Fire protection systems;
(11)
Hospitals, mortuaries, clinics, or nursing homes;
(12)
Irrigation and sprinkler systems;
(13)
Laundry and dry-cleaning facilities;
(14)
Meat processing facilities;
(15)
Metal manufacturing, cleaning, processing and
fabrication plants;
(16)
Oil and gas production, refining, storage or
transmission properties;
(17)
Plating plants;
(18)
Power plants;
(19)
Research and analytical laboratories;
(20)
Sewage and storm drainage facilities; pumping
stations and treatment plants;
(21)
Veterinary clinics;
(22)
Farm service and fertilizer plants and trucks;
(23)
Pesticide or herbicide or extermination plants
and trucks; and
(24)
Any others as deemed necessary by the Village.
D.
Booster pump. Where a booster pump has been installed
on the service line to or within any premises, such pump shall be
equipped with a low-pressure cutoff device designed to shut off the
booster pump when the pressure in the service line on the suction
side of the pump drops to 20 PSI or less. It shall be the duty of
the water consumer to maintain the low-pressure cutoff device in proper
working order and to certify to the Department of Public Works, at
least once a year, that the device is operable.
Any backflow prevention required by this article
shall be of a model or construction approved by the Village or its
authorized representative and the OCHD.
A.
Air gap separation to be approved 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.
B.
Double check valve assemblies or reduced pressure
principle backflow prevention devices shall appear on the current
list of approved backflow prevention devices established by the OCHD,
unless the device was installed at the time this article was passed
and complies with required inspection and maintenance. A proper device
shall be installed when replacement is needed.
A.
Installation. Backflow prevention devices required
by this policy shall be installed at a location and in a manner approved
by the Village or its authorized agent. All devices shall be installed
at the expense of the consumer, unless the Village or its authorized
representative agrees otherwise.
B.
Location. Backflow prevention devices installed at
the service connection shall be located on the consumer's side of
the water meter and shut-off valve, as close to the meter as is reasonable
practical, and prior to any other connection.
C.
Accessibility. Backflow prevention devices shall be
conveniently accessible for maintenance and testing, protected from
freezing, and where no part of the device will be submerged or subject
to flooding by any fluid. All devices shall be installed according
to manufacturer's recommendations.
A.
Backflow prevention installation. It is the responsibility
of the consumer to prevent backflow into the public water system.
As such, the consumer is required by this article to inspect, test,
and overhaul backflow prevention devices in accordance with the following
schedule or more often as determined by the Village or its authorized
representative:
(1)
Air gap separations shall be inspected at the time
of installation and at least monthly.
(2)
Double check valve assemblies shall be inspected and
tested for tightness at the time of installation and at least every
12 months thereafter. They shall be dismantled, inspected internally,
cleaned, and repaired whenever needed. Any faulty device shall be
repaired and tested and retested again within six months thereafter
unless replaced.
(3)
Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention devices
shall be inspected and tested for tightness at the time of installation
and at least every 12 months thereafter. They shall be dismantled,
inspected internally, cleaned and repaired whenever needed and at
least every five years.
B.
Inspection. Inspections, tests, and overhauls of backflow
prevention devices shall be made at the expense of the consumer and
shall be performed by a certified tester annually.
C.
Repairs. Whenever backflow prevention devices required
by this policy are found to be defective, they shall be repaired or
replaced without delay at the expense of the consumer. Devices which
require specialized equipment to perform maintenance or repair are
not allowed.
D.
Records. The consumer must maintain a complete record
of each backflow prevention device from purchase to retirement. This
shall include a comprehensive listing that includes a record of all
tests, inspections, and repairs. All records of inspections, tests,
repairs, and overhauls shall be provided within 30 days to the Village
or its authorized representative.
E.
Tags. All backflow prevention devices shall have a
tag showing the date of the last inspection and name of tester and
license number.
F.
Operation. Backflow prevention devices shall not be
bypassed, made inoperative, removed, or otherwise made ineffective
without specific authorization by the Village or its authorized representative.
A.
Discontinuation of water service. The Village or its
authorized representative shall deny or discontinue the water service
to any premises or any consumer wherein any backflow prevention device
required by this policy is not installed, tested, and maintained in
a manner acceptable to the Village or its authorized representative,
or if it is found that the backflow prevention device has been removed
or bypassed, or if an unprotected cross-connection exists.
B.
Restoration of water service. Water service to such
premises shall not be restored until the consumer is in compliance
with this article to the satisfaction of the Village or its authorized
representative.
C.
Responsibility. The consumer responsible for backsiphoned
or back-pressure material or contamination through backflow must bear
the cost of cleanup of the potable water supply system and shall be
totally liable for all claims that may result from such incidents
if contamination of the potable water supply system occurs through
an illegal cross-connection or an improperly installed, maintained
or repaired device, or a device which has been bypassed.
D.
Penalties. Any person, firm or corporation who or
which violates, disobeys, omits, neglects, or resists enforcement
of any of the provisions of this article shall be fined $100 or imprisoned
for not more than 100 days, for each offense. Each day upon which
such a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.
A.
The following devices are recognized for cross-connection
control and backflow prevention by the New York State Department of
Health and are published as part of this article.
(1)
Air gap: gap must be two pipe diameters (in no instance
less than one inch); must be inspected annually; satisfactory for
any material; whenever practical the control method of choice.
(2)
Reduced pressure zone device: contains two specifically
designed, soft-seated, independently acting check valves with a reduced
pressure zone (with relief valve) between the two checks; shut-off
valves before and after the device; satisfactory for most toxic materials;
significant pressure loss; (10 psi or more); must be tested and inspected
annually; repaired as necessary.
(3)
Double check valve assembly: contains two soft-seated
independently acting check valves in series; shut-off valves before
and after device; adequate for nontoxic applications only; minor pressure
loss; must be inspected and tested annually; repaired as necessary.
(4)
Internal plumbing controls:
(a)
Pressure vacuum breaker: must be installed a
minimum of 12 inches above highest point of usage; no back pressure,
only back siphonage; can operate under constant pressure; shut-off
valve can be located beyond the vacuum breaker; must be inspected
and tested annually; repaired as necessary.
(b)
Atmospheric vacuum breakers: must be installed
a minimum of six inches above highest point of usage; no back pressure,
only back siphonage; not for use under constant pressure; shut-off
valve must be located ahead of vacuum breakers; must be inspected
annually and repaired as necessary.
B.
A list of acceptable devices can be found on the New
York State Department of Health list of acceptable devices, which
can be obtained from the Orange County Health Department.
