[Adopted 9-8-2008]
The purpose of this article is to provide a program for protecting
the public water system from contamination due to backflow of contaminants
through the water service connection into the public water system.
A.
Chapters NR 811 and SPS 382, Wisconsin Administrative Code, require
protection of the public water system from contaminants due to backflow
of contaminants through the water service connection.
B.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Department of Safety
and Professional Services require the maintenance of a continuing
program of cross-connection control which will systematically and
effectively prevent the contamination of all potable water systems.
C.
The Town Board of the Town of Lawrence has the general authority
under its village powers under § 60.22, Wis. Stats., to
adopt this article.
As used in 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 Town of Lawrence Utility District (hereinafter "District")
potable supply of water from any source.[1]
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 ballcock, 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 District's potable water supply
system from any source caused by the sudden reduction of pressure
in the District's potable water supply system.
Any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise
separate systems, one of which contains potable water from the District
and the other containing 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 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 public water supply of the
District, may enter the supply or distribution system of the District,
unless such private, auxiliary, or emergency water supply and the
method of connection and use of such supply shall have been approved
by the District and the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
[Amended 5-13-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-003]
It shall be the duty of the District to cause inspection to
be made of all properties serviced by the District where cross-connection
with the public water system is deemed possible. Residential properties
serviced by the District shall be inspected on a twenty-year interval.
With exception of multifamily properties, all commercial, industrial,
and public authority properties serviced by the District shall be
inspected on a two- and six-year interval. The District may, but is
not required to, perform the cross-connection inspection of the owner's
property. If, in the opinion of the District, the District is not
able to perform the inspection, the property owner must, at his or
her own expense, have the plumbing inspected for crossconnections
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 District. The District shall charge fees as
approved by the State of Wisconsin Public Service Commission for on-premises
followup visits by District personnel for reinspection due to
customer noncompliance and for after-hours inspections or reinspections.
Upon presentation of credentials, representatives of the District
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 District 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 District 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 of contamination of the public water system. Water service shall be discontinued if the means of backflow prevention required by the District is not installed, tested, maintained, and repaired in compliance with this article and Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter NR 811, 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 § 286-45 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 District
has been installed in compliance with the provisions of this article.
The District 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 District 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 Town of Lawrence Town Board 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 Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapters NR 811 and
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 District of any
proposed or modified cross-connections and also any existing cross-connections
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 District requires or authorizes
other means of protecting the public water system. These requirements
or authorizations will be at the discretion of the District.
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 District, 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 District, an undue health threat is posed because
of the presence of toxic substances, the District 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 District.
A.
Public water supplies. Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter NR 811
is hereby adopted. This article does not supersede the State of Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources Administrative Code Chapter NR 811
but is supplementary to it.
B.
Plumbing Code. The Wisconsin Uniform Plumbing Code, Chapters SPS
381 to SPS 387 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, is hereby adopted.
This article does not supersede the Wisconsin Uniform Plumbing Code
but is supplementary to it.
