It is the purpose and intent of this article to ensure that
all water supplies under the control of the County and/or the Carroll
County Public Service Authority destined for public consumption be
pure and not constitute a danger to the public health or safety. This
article is designed to satisfy the requirements of the commonwealth's
Waterworks Regulations promulgated by the State Department of Health.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article,
shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where
the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
AIR GAP SEPARATION
The unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere
between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet supplying pure
water to a tank, plumbing fixture, or other device and the rim of
the receptacle.
AUXILIARY WATER SYSTEM
Any water system on or available to the premises other than
the waterworks. These auxiliary waters may include water from another
purveyor's waterworks; or water from a source such as wells, lakes
or streams; or process fluids; or used water. They may be polluted
or contaminated or objectionable or constitute a water source or system
over which the water purveyor does not have control.
BACKFLOW
The flow of contaminants, pollutants, process fluids, used
water, untreated waters, chemicals, gases or nonpotable waters into
any part of a waterworks.
BUREAU
The Bureau of Sanitary Engineering of the State Department
of Health.
CONSUMER
The owner or person in control of any premises supplied by
or in any manner connected to a waterworks.
CONSUMER'S WATER SYSTEM
Any water system located on the consumer's premises, supplied
by or in any manner connected to a waterworks.
CONTAMINATION
Any introduction into pure water of microorganisms, wastes,
wastewater, undesirable chemicals or gases.
CROSS-CONNECTION
Any connection or structural arrangement, direct or indirect,
to the waterworks whereby backflow can occur.
DEGREE OF HAZARD
Conditions derived from an evaluation of the potential risk
to health and the adverse effect upon the waterworks.
DIRECTOR
The Director of the Public Service Authority (PSA).
DOUBLE-GATE DOUBLE-CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY
An approved assembly composed of two single, independently
acting check valves, including tightly closed shutoff valves located
at each end of the assembly and petcocks and test gauges for testing
the watertightness of each check valve.
FLOOD-LEVEL RIM
The top edge of the receptacle over which water could overflow.
HEALTH HAZARD
Any condition, device or practice in a waterworks or its
operation that creates, or may create, a danger to the health and
well-being of the water consumer.
OWNER
The person having legal title to the property or the person
in charge, care and control of the property where the facilities in
question are located; also, the tenants of such property.
POLLUTION
The presence of any foreign substance (chemical, physical,
radiological or biological) in water that tends to degrade its quality
so as to constitute an unnecessary risk or impair the usefulness of
the water.
POLLUTION HAZARD
A condition through which an aesthetically objectionable
or degrading material may enter the waterworks or a consumer's water
system.
PROCESS FLUIDS
Any fluid or solution, which may be chemically, biologically
or otherwise contaminated or polluted, which would constitute a health,
pollution or system hazard if introduced into the waterworks. This
includes, but is not limited to:
A.
Polluted or contaminated waters.
C.
Used waters originating from the waterworks which may have deteriorated
in sanitary quality.
E.
Contaminated natural waters taken from wells, lakes, streams
or irrigation systems.
F.
Chemicals in solution of suspension.
G.
Oils, gases, acids, alkalis and other liquid and gaseous fluids
used in industrial or other processes or for firefighting purposes.
PURE WATER or POTABLE WATER
Water fit for human consumption and use which is sanitary
and normally free of minerals, organic substances and toxic agents
in excess of reasonable amounts for domestic usage in the area served
and normally adequate in supply for the minimum health requirement
of the persons served.
REDUCED-PRESSURE-PRINCIPLE BACKFLOW-PREVENTION DEVICE
A device containing a minimum of two independently acting
check valves, together with an automatically operated pressure differential
relief valve located between the two check valves. During normal flow
and at the cessation of normal flow, the pressure between these two
checks shall be less than the supply pressure. In case of leakage
of either check valve, the differential relief valve, by discharging
to the atmosphere, shall operate to maintain the pressure between
the check valves at less than the supply pressure. The unit must include
tightly closing shutoff valves located at each end of the device,
and each device shall be fitted with properly located test cocks.
These devices must be of the approved type.
SERVICE CONNECTION
The terminal end of a service line from the waterworks. If
a meter is installed at the end of the service, then the "service
connection" means the downstream end of the meter.
SERVICE LINE
That portion of the waterline from the consumer's side of
the water meter to the first water outlet.
SYSTEM HAZARD
A condition posing an actual, or threat of, damage to the
physical properties of the waterworks or a consumer's water system.
TOXIN
Any substance of solids or liquids harmful for human consumption.
USED WATER
Any water supplied by a water purveyor from waterworks to
a consumer's water system after it has passed through the service
connection.
WATER PURVEYOR
An individual, group of individuals, partnership, firm, association,
institution, corporation, municipal corporation, County or authority
which supplies water to any person within this state from or by means
of any waterworks.
WATERWORKS
All structures, equipment and appurtenances used in the storage,
collection, purification, treatment of and distribution of pure water,
except for the piping and fixtures inside the building where such
water is delivered, as set forth in Code of Virginia, § 32.1-167.
The Public Service Authority is hereby authorized to adopt a
cross-connection control program in accordance with this article and
the Waterworks Regulations of the Virginia Department of Health. The
Director of the Public Service Authority or his designated agent shall,
in accordance with the Public Service Authority's duly adopted cross-connection
control program, inspect the plumbing in every building or premises
served by the Public Service Authority waterworks system as frequently
as may be necessary to ensure that such plumbing has been installed
and is maintained in a manner as to prevent the possibility of pollution
or contamination of the public water supply. The Director shall notify,
or cause to be notified in writing, the owner, occupant 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 may create the
risk of pollution to the County water supply or otherwise adversely
affect the public health.
Cross-connection between approved potable community or noncommunity
water systems and other unapproved systems or equipment containing
water or other substances of unknown or questionable safety are prohibited,
except when and where, as approved by the Director, protective devices
such as the reduced-pressure-zone backflow preventer or its equivalent
are installed, maintained and tested to ensure proper operation on
a continuing basis. The Director of the PSA may deny or discontinue
the water service to a consumer if the required backflow-prevention
device is not installed. If it is found that the device(s) has been
removed or bypassed or if a cross-connection exists on the premises,
or if the pressure in the waterworks is lowered below 10 pounds per
square inch gauge, the Director shall take positive action to insure
that the waterworks is adequately protected at all times. Water service
to such premises shall not be restored until the deficiencies have
been corrected or eliminated in accordance with the Commonwealth of
Virginia Waterworks Regulations and to the satisfaction of the Director.
Certified plans for the following types of facilities shall
be submitted in duplicate to the Director prior to construction:
A. Hospitals, mortuaries, clinics, nursing homes.
C. Piers, docks, waterfront facilities.
D. Sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations or stormwater pumping
stations.
E. Food and beverage processing plants.
F. Chemical plants and dyeing plants.
G. Metal plating industries.
H. Petroleum processing or storage plants.
I. Radioactive materials processing plants or nuclear reactors.
K. Lawn sprinkler systems and irrigation systems.
M. Farms, where the water is used for other than household purposes.
N. Others specified by the Director, when reasonable cause can be shown
for a potential backflow or cross-connection hazard.
In order to maintain a program of cross-connection and backflow-prevention
control consistent with this article, the Director of Public Works
shall perform the following acts:
A. Initially, a checklist specifying potential hazards shall be sent
to each resident served by the County water systems for their review
and completion. The completed form shall be returned to the Director
of Public Works office.
B. The Director of Public Works shall review the completed form and
require the installation of proper backflow-prevention devices where
needed in accordance with this article or with regulations of the
State Department of Health.
C. Subsections
A and
B of this section shall be repeated for each new water customer and shall be repeated for existing water customers at least once every three years.
All cross-connection control program records are to be kept
and maintained by the Director of Public Works for a period of 10
years after their effective date.