[Adopted 12-19-1984 (§§ 11.05 and 11.07 of the 1998 Code); amended 4-13-2011]
The purpose of this article is to provide for the health, safety,
and general welfare of the citizens of the Village of Bellevue through
the regulation of illegal connections to the water supply system to
the maximum extent practicable as required by federal and state law.
This article establishes methods for controlling the introduction
of pollutants into the municipal water supply in order to comply with
requirements of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
water supply regulations.
For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall
have the meanings indicated:
The undesirable flow of water or mixtures of water and other
liquids, solids, gases or other substances under positive or reduced
pressure into the Utility potable supply of water from any source.
A device or means designed to prevent backflow caused by
backpressure or backsiphonage; most commonly categorized as air gap,
reduced pressure principle backflow assembly, double check valve assembly,
pressure vacuum breaker assembly, backsiphonage backflow vacuum breaker
(spill resistant pressure vacuum breaker) assembly, pipe applied atmospheric
vacuum breaker, flush tank ball-cock, laboratory faucet backflow preventer,
backflow preventer for carbonated beverage machine, vacuum breaker
wall hydrants, chemical dispensing machine, hose connection vacuum
breaker, hose connection backflow preventer, backflow preventer with
intermediate atmospheric vent and barometric loop.
An elevation of pressure in the downstream piping system
(pump elevation of piping or steam and/or air pressure) above the
Utility supply pressure which would cause or tend a reversal of the
normal direction of flow.
The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances
into the distribution pipes of the Utility's potable water supply
system from any source caused by the sudden reduction of pressure
in the Utility's potable water supply system.
Any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise
separate systems, one of which contains potable water from the Bellevue
Water Utility (hereinafter "Utility") and the other water from a private
source, water of unknown or questionable safety, or steam, gases,
or chemicals, whereby there may be a flow from one system to the other,
the direction of flow depending on the pressure differential between
the two systems.
No person, firm or corporation shall establish or permit to
be established or maintain or permit to be maintained any cross-connection.
No interconnection shall be established whereby potable water from
a private, auxiliary or emergency water supply other than the regular
public water supply of the Village of Bellevue may enter the supply
or distribution system of said municipality, unless such private,
auxiliary or emergency water supply and the method of connection and
use of such supply shall have been approved by the Utility and by
the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in accordance with § NR
810.15, Wis. Adm. Code.
It shall be the duty of the Utility to cause inspection to be
made of all properties serviced by the Utility where cross-connection
with the public water system is deemed possible. Residential properties
serviced by the Utility shall be inspected on a ten-year interval.
All nonresidential properties serviced by the Utility shall be inspected
on a two-year interval. The Utility may, but is not required to, perform
the cross-connection inspection of the owner's property. If, in the
opinion of the Utility, the Utility is not able to perform the inspection,
the property owner must, at his own expense, have the plumbing inspected
for cross-connections by a State of Wisconsin certified cross-connection
inspector/surveyor or by a State of Wisconsin licensed plumber. The
frequency of required inspections and reinspections, based on potential
health hazards involved, may be shortened by the Utility. The Utility
shall charge fees as approved by the State of Wisconsin Public Service
Commission for on-premises follow-up visits by Utility personnel for
reinspection due to customer noncompliance and for after-hours inspections
or reinspections.
Upon presentation of credentials, representatives of the Utility
shall have the right to request entry at any reasonable time to examine
any property served by a connection to the public water system of
the Utility for cross-connection. If entry is refused, such representatives
shall obtain a special inspection warrant under § 66.0119,
Wis. Stats. Upon request, the owner, lessee, or occupant of any property
so served shall furnish to the inspection agency any pertinent information
regarding the piping system on such property.
The Utility is hereby authorized and directed to discontinue water service to any property wherein any connection in violation of this article exists and to take such other precautionary measures deemed necessary to eliminate any damage or contamination of the public water system. Water service shall be discontinued if the means of backflow prevention required by the Utility is not installed, tested, maintained, and repaired in compliance with this article and § NR 810.15, Wis. Adm. Code, or if it is found that the means of backflow prevention required by this article has been removed or bypassed. Water service shall be discontinued only after reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing under Ch. 68, Wis. Stats., except as provided in § 450-8 below.
Water service to any property discontinued under the provisions
of this article shall not be restored until the cross-connection has
been eliminated or a backflow prevention device approved by the Utility
has been installed in compliance with the provisions of this article.
The Utility shall charge fees as approved by the State of Wisconsin
Public Service Commission for the reconnection of the water service.
If it is determined by the Utility that a cross-connection or
an emergency endangers public health, safety, or welfare and requires
immediate action, service may be immediately discontinued. The owner,
lessee, or occupant shall have an opportunity for hearing under Ch.
68, Wis. Stats., within 10 days of such emergency discontinuance.
Such hearing shall be before the Village of Bellevue Board of Trustees
and shall conform to all existing due process requirements.
The property owner shall be responsible for the elimination
of or protection from all cross-connections on his or her premises.
The property owner shall, at his or her expense, have installed, maintained,
and tested any and all backflow preventers on his or her premises
in compliance with § NR 810.15, Wis. Adm. Code, and Ch.
SPS 382. The property owner shall have corrected any malfunction,
revealed by periodic testing, of any backflow preventer on his or
her premises. The property owner shall inform the Utility of any proposed
or modified cross-connections and also any existing cross-connection
that are not protected by an approved backflow prevention device.
The property owner shall not install a bypass around any backflow
preventer unless there is a backflow preventer of the same type on
the bypass. Property owners who cannot shut down operation for testing
of the backflow prevention device must supply additional devices necessary
to allow testing to take place. In the event the property owner installs
plumbing upstream of the backflow preventer, such plumbing must have
its own backflow preventer. The property owner is required to follow
the protection practices described in the American Water Works Association
publication AWWA M14 titled "Recommended Practice for Backflow Prevention
and Cross-Connection Control," unless the Utility requires or authorizes
other means of protecting the public water system. These requirements
or authorizations will be at the discretion of the Utility.
In the case of premises having internal cross-connections that
cannot be permanently corrected or controlled, or intricate plumbing
and piping arrangements where entry to all portions of the premises
is not readily accessible for inspection purposes, making it impracticable
or impossible to ascertain whether or not dangerous cross-connections
exist, the public water system shall be protected against backflow
from the premises by installing an approved backflow preventer in
the service line. In the case of any premises where there is any material
dangerous to health that is handled in such a manner that, in the
opinion of the Utility, could create an actual or potential hazard
to the public water system, the public water system shall be protected
by an approved air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure
principle backflow preventer. Examples of premises where these conditions
will exist include sewage treatment plants, hospitals, plating plants,
and car wash establishments. In the case of any premises where, in
the opinion of the Utility, an undue health threat is posed because
of the presence of toxic substances, the Utility may require an approved
air gap at the service connection to protect the public water system.
This requirement will be at the discretion of the Utility.
Except as otherwise provided herein, any person found in violation of any provision of this article or any order, rule or regulation made hereunder shall be subject to a penalty as provided in § 1-4 of the Code of the Village of Bellevue.
