A.Â
Responsibility of the Director. The Director of Public
Works, or his or her designated agent, shall inspect the plumbing
in every building or premises in this city as frequently as in his
or her judgment may be necessary to ensure that such plumbing has
been installed in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of pollution
of the water supply of the city by the plumbing. The Director shall
notify or cause to be notified in writing the owner or authorized
agent of the owner of any such building or premises to correct, within
a reasonable time set by the Director, any plumbing installed or existing
contrary to or in violation of this article, and which in his or her
judgment may, therefore, permit the pollution of the city water supply
or otherwise adversely affect the public health.
B.Â
Inspection. The Director, or his or her designated
agent, shall have the right of entry into any building, during reasonable
hours, for the purpose of making inspection of the plumbing systems
installed in such building or premises, provided that with respect
to the inspection of any single family dwelling, consent to such inspection
shall first be obtained from a person of suitable age and discretion
therein or in control thereof.
As used in this article, the following definitions
shall apply:
The Department of Public Works.
The unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere
between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet supplying water
to a tank, plumbing fixture or other device and the flood-level rim
of the receptacle.
Accepted by the agency as meeting an applicable specification
stated or cited in this article, or as suitable for the proposed use.
Any water source or system other than the potable water supply
that may be available in the building or premises.
The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances
into the distributing pipes of a potable supply of water from any
source or sources other than its intended source. Backsiphonage is
one type of backflow.
A device or means to prevent backflow.
Backflow resulting from negative pressures in the distributing
pipes of a potable water supply.
A loop of pipe rising at least 35 feet, at its topmost point,
above the highest fixture it supplies.
A self-closing device which is designed to permit the flow
of fluids in one direction and to close if there is a reversal of
flow.
See "pollution."
Any physical connection between a potable water supply and
any waste pipe, soil pipe, sewer, drain or any unapproved source or
system. Furthermore, it is any potable water supply outlet which is
submerged or can be submerged in wastewater and/or any other source
of contamination. (See "backflow" and "backsiphonage.")
Any pipe that carries wastewater or waterborne wastes in
a building drainage system.
Installed receptacles, devices or appliances supplied with
water or that receive or discharge liquids or liquidborne wastes.
The edge of the receptacle from which water overflows.
Any conditions, devices or practices in the water supply
system and its operation which create, or, in the judgment of the
Director, may create a danger to the health and well-being of the
water consumer. An example of a health hazard is a structural defect
in the water supply system, whether of location, design or construction,
that regularly or occasionally may prevent satisfactory purification
of the water supply or cause it to be polluted from extraneous sources.
Any arrangement of plumbing, including piping and fixtures
whereby a cross-connection is created.
A pressure vessel in which air pressure acts upon the surface
of the water contained within the vessel, pressurizing the water distribution
piping connected to the vessel.
The open end of the water supply pipe through which the water
is discharged into the plumbing fixture.
Includes the water supply and distribution pipes, plumbing
fixtures and traps; soil, waste and vent pipes; building drains and
building sewers, including their respective connections, devices and
appurtenances within the property lines of the premises; and water-treating
or water-using equipment.
The presence of any foreign substance (organic, inorganic,
radiological or biological) in water that tends to degrade its quality
so as to constitute a hazard or impair the usefulness of the water.
An assembly of differential valves and check valves, including
an automatically opened spillage port to the atmosphere designed to
prevent backflow.
The receiving, nonpressure vessel forming part of the airgap
separation between a potable and an auxiliary supply.
Any pressure less than that exerted by the atmosphere.
A vacuum breaker designed so as not to be subjected to static
line pressure.
A vacuum breaker designed to operate under conditions of
static line pressure.
Water free from impurities in amounts sufficient to cause
disease or harmful physiological effects. Its bacteriological and
chemical quality shall conform to the requirements of the Public Health
Service Drinking Water Standards or to the regulations of the public
health authority having jurisdiction.
Water that is not safe for human consumption or that is of
questionable potability.
A.Â
General. A potable water supply system shall be designed,
installed and maintained in such manner as to prevent contamination
from nonpotable liquids, solids or gases from being introduced into
the potable water supply through cross-connections or any other piping
connections to the system.
B.Â
Cross-connections prohibited. Cross-connections between
potable water systems and other systems or equipment containing water
or other substances of unknown or questionable safety are prohibited
except when and where, as approved by the authority having jurisdiction,
suitable protective devices such as the reduced-pressure zone backflow
preventer or equal are installed, tested and maintained to ensure
proper operation on a continuing basis.
C.Â
Interconnections. Interconnection between two or more
public water supplies shall be permitted only with the approval of
the health authority having jurisdiction.
D.Â
Individual water supplies. Cross-connections between
an individual water supply and a potable public supply shall not be
made unless specifically approved by the health authority having jurisdiction.
E.Â
Connections to boilers. Potable water connections
to boilers shall be made through an airgap or provided with an approved
backflow preventer.
F.Â
Prohibited connections to fixtures and equipment. Connection to the potable water supply system for the following is prohibited unless protected against backflow in accordance with Subsection H or as set out herein.
(1)Â
Bidets.
(2)Â
Operating, dissection, embalming and mortuary tables
or similar equipment; in such installation the hose used for water
supply shall terminate at least 12 inches away from every point of
the table or attachments.
(3)Â
Pumps for nonpotable water, chemicals or other substances;
priming connections may be made only through an airgap.
(4)Â
Building drainage, sewer or vent systems.
(5)Â
Any other fixture of similar hazard.
G.Â
Refrigerating unit condensers and cooling jackets.
Except where potable water provided for a refrigerator condenser or
cooling jacket is entirely outside the piping or tank containing a
toxic refrigerant, the inlet connection shall be provided with an
approved check valve. Also adjacent to and at the outlet side of the
check valve, an approved pressure relief valve set to relieve at five
psi above the maximum water pressure at the point of installation
shall be provided if the refrigeration units contain more than 20
pounds of refrigerants.
H.Â
Protection against backflow and backsiphonage.
(1)Â
Water outlets. A potable water system shall be protected
against backflow and backsiphonage by providing and maintaining at
each outlet:
(2)Â
Minimum required airgap.
(a)Â
How measured. The minimum required airgap shall
be measured vertically from the lowest end of a potable water outlet
to the flood rim or line of the fixture or receptacle into which it
discharges.
(b)Â
Size. The minimum required airgap shall be twice
the effective opening of a potable water outlet unless the outlet
is a distance less than three times the effective opening away from
a wall or similar vertical surface, in which cases the minimum required
airgap shall be three times the effective opening of the outlet. In
no case shall the minimum required airgap be less than shown in Table
I.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Table I is located at the end
of this chapter.
(3)Â
Approval of devices.
(a)Â
Before any device for the prevention of backflow
or backsiphonage is installed, it shall have first been certified
by a recognized testing laboratory acceptable to the agency Director.
Devices installed in a building potable water supply distribution
system for protection against backflow shall be maintained in good
working condition by the person or persons responsible for the maintenance
of the system.
(b)Â
The agency Director or his or her designee shall
inspect routinely such devices and if found to be defective or inoperative
shall require the replacement thereof.
(4)Â
Installation of devices.
(a)Â
Vacuum breakers. Vacuum breakers shall be installed
with the critical level at least six inches above the flood level
rim of the fixture they serve and on the discharge side of the last
control valve to the fixture. No shutoff valve or faucet shall be
installed beyond the vacuum breaker. For closed equipment or vessels
such as pressure sterilizers the top of the vessel shall be treated
as the flood-level rim, but a check valve shall be installed on the
discharge side of the vacuum breaker.
(b)Â
Reduced-pressure principle backflow preventer.
A reduced-pressure principle-type backflow preventer may be installed
subject to full static pressure.
(c)Â
Devices of all types. Backflow and backsiphonage
preventing devices shall be accessibly located preferably in the same
room with the fixture they serve. Installation in utility or service
spaces, provided that they are readily accessible, is also permitted.
(5)Â
Tanks and vats below rim supply.
(a)Â
Where a potable water outlet terminates below
the rim of a tank or vat and the tank or vat has an overflow of diameter
not less than given in Table II[2], the overflow pipe shall be provided with an airgap as
close to the tank as possible.
[2]
Editor's Note: Table II is located at the
end of this chapter.
(b)Â
The potable water outlet to the tank or vat
shall terminate a distance not less than 1 1/2 times the height to
which water can rise in the tank above the top of the overflow. This
level shall be established at the maximum flow rate of the supply
to the tank or vat and with all outlets except the airgap overflow
outlet closed.
(c)Â
The distance from the outlet to the high-water
level shall be measured from the critical point of the potable water
supply outlet.
(6)Â
Protective devices required. Approved devices to protect
against backflow and backsiphonage shall be installed at all fixtures
and equipment where backflow and/or backsiphonage may occur and where
a minimum airgap cannot be provided between the water outlet to the
fixture or equipment and its flood level rim.
(a)Â
Connections not subject to backpressure. Where
a water connection is not subject to backpressure, a vacuum breaker
shall be installed on the discharge side of the last valve on the
line serving the fixture or equipment. A list of some conditions requiring
protective devices of this kind is given in Table III, Cross-connections
where protective devices are required and critical level (C-L) settings
for vacuum breakers.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Table III is located at the
end of this chapter.
(b)Â
Connections subject to backpressure. Where a
potable water connection is made to a line, fixture, tank, vat, pump
or other equipment with a hazard of backflow or backsiphonage where
the water connection is subject to backpressure, and an airgap cannot
be installed, the Director may require the use of an approved reduced-pressure
principle backflow preventer. A partial list of such connections is
shown in Table IV.[4]
[4]
Editor's Note: Table IV is located at the
end of this chapter.
(7)Â
Barometric loop. Water connections where an actual or potential backsiphonage hazard exists may in lieu of devices specified in Subsection H(6) be provided with a barometric loop. Barometric loops shall precede the point of connection.
(8)Â
Double check double gate valves. The Director may
authorize installation of approved, double check double gate valve
assemblies with test cocks as protective devices against backflow
in connections between a potable water system and other fluid systems
which present no significant health hazard in the judgment of the
Director.
(9)Â
Low pressure cutoff required on booster pumps. When
a booster pump is used on a water pressure booster system and the
possibility exists that a positive pressure of 10 psi or less may
occur on the suction side of the pump, there shall be installed a
low pressure cutoff on the booster pump to prevent the creation of
a vacuum or negative pressure on the suction side of the pump, thus
cutting off water to other outlets.
A.Â
General requirements. It shall be the responsibility
of building and premises owners to maintain all backflow preventers
and vacuum breakers within the building or on the premises in good
working order and to make no piping or other arrangements for the
purpose of bypassing backflow devices.
B.Â
Backflow preventers. Periodic testing and inspection
schedules shall be established by the Director for all backflow preventers
and the interval between such testing and inspections and overhauls
of each device shall be established in accordance with the age and
condition of the device. Inspection intervals should not exceed one
year and overhaul intervals should not exceed five years. These devices
should be inspected frequently after the initial installation to assure
that they have been installed properly and that debris resulting from
the installation has not interfered with the functioning of the device.
The testing procedures shall be in accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions when approved by the Director.
A.Â
Notification of violation. The Director shall notify
the owner, or authorized agent of the owner, of the building or premises
in which there is found a violation of this article, of such violation.
The Director shall set a reasonable time for the owner to have the
violation removed or corrected. Upon failure of the owner to have
the defect corrected by the end of the specified time interval the
Director may, if in his or her judgment an imminent health hazard
exists, cause the water service to the building or premises to be
terminated, and/or recommend such additional fines or penalties to
be invoked as herein may be provided.
B.Â
Penalties. The owner or authorized agent of the owner responsible for the maintenance of the plumbing systems in the building who knowingly permits a violation to remain uncorrected after the expiration of time set by the Director shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to the penalties as provided in § § 270-46.
