As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
AIR-GAP
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 said vessel. An approved air-gap shall be at least double the diameter
of the supply pipe, measured vertically, above the overflow rim of
the vessel; and in no case less than one inch.
APPROVED
Accepted by the Director as meeting an applicable specification
stated or cited in this article, or as suitable for the proposed use.
AUXILIARY WATER SUPPLY
Any water supply on or available to the premises other than
the purveyor's approved public water supply will be considered
as an auxiliary water supply. These auxiliary waters may include water
from another purveyor's public potable water supply or any natural
source(s) such as a well, spring, river, stream, harbor, etc., or
"used waters" or "industrial fluid." These waters may be contaminated
or polluted as they may be objectionable and constitute an unacceptable
water source over which the water purveyor does not have sanitary
control.
BACKFLOW
The reversal of the normal flow of water caused by either
backpressure or backsiphonage.
BACKPRESSURE
The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances
under pressure into the distribution pipes of a potable water supply
system from any source or sources other than the intended source.
BACKSIPHONAGE
The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances
into the distribution pipes of a potable water supply from any source
other than its intended source, caused by the reduction of pressure
in the potable water supply system.
CONTAMINATION
An impairment of the quality of the potable water by sewage,
industrial fluids or waste liquids, compounds or other materials to
a degree which creates an actual or potential hazard to the public
health through poisoning or through the spread of disease.
CROSS-CONNECTION
Any physical connection or arrangement of piping or fixtures
between two otherwise separate piping systems, one of which contains
potable water and the other nonpotable water or industrial fluids
of questionable safety, through which, or because of which, backflow
may occur into the potable water system. This would include any temporary
connections, such as swing connections, removable sections, four-way
plug valves, spools, dummy sections of pipe, swivel or change-over
devices or sliding multiport tubes.
CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL BY CONTAINMENT
A.
The installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly
at the water service connection to any customer's premises where
it is physically and economically infeasible to find and permanently
eliminate or control all actual or potential cross-connections within
the customer's water system; or
B.
The installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly
on the service line leading to and supplying a portion of a customer's
water system where there are actual or potential cross-connections
which cannot be effectively eliminated or controlled at the point
of the cross-connection.
CROSS-CONNECTIONS, CONTROLLED
A connection between a potable water system and a nonpotable
water system with an approved backflow prevention assembly properly
installed and maintained so that it will continuously afford the protection
commensurate with the degree of hazard.
DOUBLE CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY
An assembly of two independently operating approved check
valves with tightly closing shut-off valves on each end of the check
valves, plus properly located test cocks for the testing of each check
valve. The entire assembly shall meet the design and performance specifications
as determined by a laboratory and field evaluation program resulting
in an approval by a recognized and approved testing agency for backflow
prevention assemblies. To be approved, these assemblies must be readily
accessible for in-line testing and maintenance.
HAZARD, DEGREE OF
The term is derived from an evaluation of the potential risk
to public health and the adverse effect of the hazard upon the potable
water system.
HAZARD, HEALTH
Any condition, device, or practice in the water supply system
and its operation which could create or in the judgment of the Water/Wastewater
Director may create a danger to the health and well-being of the water
consumer.
HAZARD, PLUMBING
A plumbing-type cross-connection in a consumer's potable
water system that has not been properly protected by an approved air-gap
or approved backflow prevention assembly.
HAZARD, POLLUTIONAL
An actual or potential threat to the physical properties
of the water system or to the potability of the public or the consumer's
potable water system which would constitute a nuisance or be aesthetically
objectionable or could cause damage to the system or its appurtenances,
but would not be dangerous to health.
HAZARD, SYSTEM
An actual or potential threat of severe damage to the physical
properties of the public potable water system or the consumer's
potable water system of a pollution or contamination which would have
a protracted effect on the quality of the potable water in the system.
INDUSTRIAL FLUIDS SYSTEM
Any system containing a fluid or solution which may be chemically,
biologically or otherwise contaminated or polluted in a form or concentration
such as would constitute a health, system, pollutional or plumbing
hazard if introduced into an approved water supply. This may include,
but not be limited to: polluted or contaminated waters; all types
of process waters and "used waters" originating from the public potable
water system which may have deteriorated in sanitary quality; chemicals
in fluid form; plating acids and alkalines, circulating cooling waters
connected to an open cooling tower and/or cooling towers that are
chemically or biologically treated or stabilized with toxic substances;
contaminated natural waters such as from wells, springs, streams,
rivers, bays, harbors, seas, irrigation canals or systems, etc.; oils,
gases, glycerine, paraffins, caustic and acid solutions and other
liquid and gaseous fluids used in industrial or other purposes or
for fire-fighting purposes.
POLLUTION
The presence of any foreign substance (organic, inorganic,
or biological) in water which tends to degrade its quality so as to
constitute a hazard or impair the usefulness or quality of the water
to a degree which does not create an actual hazard to the public health
but which does adversely and unreasonably affect such waters or domestic
use.
REDUCED PRESSURE PRINCIPLE ASSEMBLY
An assembly of two independently acting approved check valves
together with an hydraulically operating, mechanically independent
differential pressure relief valve located between the check valves
and at the same time below the first check valve. The unit shall include
properly located test cocks and tightly closing shut-off valves at
each end of the assembly. The entire assembly shall meet the design
and performance specifications as determined by a laboratory and a
field-approved evaluation program resulting in an approval by a recognized
and approved testing agency for backflow prevention assemblies. The
assembly shall operate to maintain the pressure in the zone between
the two check valves at an acceptable level less than the pressure
on the public water supply side of the assembly. At cessation of a
normal flow, the pressure between the two check valves shall be less
than the pressure on the public water supply side of the device. In
case of leakage of either of the check valves, the differential relief
valve shall operate to maintain the reduced pressure in the zone between
the check valves by discharging to the atmosphere. When the inlet
pressure is two pounds per square inch or less, the relief valve shall
open to the atmosphere. To be approved, these assemblies must be readily
accessible for in-line testing and maintenance and be installed location
where no part of the assembly will be submerged.
WATER, NONPOTABLE
Water which is not safe for human consumption or which is
of questionable potability.
WATER, POTABLE
Any water which, according to recognized standards, is safe
for human consumption.
WATER SERVICE CONNECTION
The terminal end of a service connection from the public
potable water system; i.e., where the water purveyor loses jurisdiction
and sanitary control over the water at its point of delivery to the
customer's water system. If a meter is installed at the end of
the service connection, then the "service connection" shall mean the
downstream end of the meter. There should be no unprotected takeoffs
from the service line ahead of any meter or any backflow prevention
assembly located at the point of delivery to the customer's water
system. "Service connection" shall also include water service connection
from a fire hydrant and all other temporary or emergency water service
connections from the public potable water system.
WATER, USED
Any water supplied by a water purveyor from a public potable
water system to a consumer's water system after it has passed
through the point of delivery and is no longer under the sanitary
control of the water purveyor.
WATER/WASTEWATER DIRECTOR
The Director in charge of Water/Wastewater Department of
the City of Seward, who is invested with the authority and responsibility
for the implementation of an effective cross-connection control program
and for the enforcement of the provisions of this article.
The water system shall be considered as made up of two parts:
the utility system and the customer system.
A. The utility system shall consist of the source facilities and the
distribution system and shall include all those facilities of the
water system under the complete control of the utility, up to the
point where the customer's system begins.
(1)
The source shall include all components of the facilities utilized
in the production, treatment, storage, and delivery of water to the
distribution system.
(2)
The distribution system shall include the network of conduits
used for the delivery of water from the source to the customer's system.
B. The customer's system shall include those parts of the facilities
beyond the termination of the utility distribution system which are
utilized in conveying utility-delivered domestic water to points of
use.
An approved backflow prevention assembly shall also be installed
on each service line to a customer's water system at or near
the property line or immediately inside the building being served,
but, in all cases, before the first branch line leading off the service
line, wherever the following conditions exist:
A. In the case of premises having an auxiliary water supply which is
not or may not be of safe bacteriological or chemical quality and
which is not acceptable as an additional source by the Water/Wastewater
Director, the public water system shall be protected against backflow
from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly
in the service line appropriate to the degree of hazard.
B. In the case of premises on which any industrial fluids or any other
objectionable substance is handled in such a fashion as to create
an actual or potential hazard to the public water system, the public
system shall be protected against backflow from the premises by installing
an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line appropriate
to the degree of hazard. This shall include the handling of process
waters and waters originating from the utility system which have been
subject to deterioration in quality.
C. In the case of premises having internal cross-connection that cannot
be permanently corrected or controlled, or intricate plumbing and
piping arrangements or 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 prevention assembly
in the service line.
It shall be the duty of the customer-user at any premises where
backflow prevention assemblies are installed to have certified inspections
and operational tests made at least once per year. In those instances
where the Water/Wastewater Director deems the hazard to be great enough,
he may require certified inspections at more frequent intervals. These
inspections and tests shall be at the expense of the water user and
shall be performed by the assembly manufacturer's representative,
Water/Wastewater Department personnel or by a certified tester approved
by the Water/Wastewater Director. It shall be the duty of the Water/Wastewater
Director to see that these tests are made in a timely manner. The
customer-user shall notify the Water/Wastewater Director in advance
when the tests are to be undertaken so that an official representative
may witness the tests if so desired. These assemblies shall be repaired,
overhauled or replaced at the expense of the customer-user whenever
said assemblies are found to be defective. Records of such tests,
repairs and overhaul shall be kept and made available to the Water/Wastewater
Director.
All presently installed backflow prevention assemblies which do not meet the requirements of this article but were approved devices for the purposes described herein at the time of installation and which have been properly maintained shall, except for the inspection and maintenance requirements under §
390-2.7, be excluded from the requirements of these rules so long as the Water/Wastewater Director is assured that they will satisfactorily protect the utility system. Whenever the existing device is moved from the present location or requires more than minimum maintenance or when the Water/Wastewater Director finds that the maintenance constitutes a hazard to health, the unit shall be replaced by an approved backflow prevention assembly meeting the requirements of this article.
Any person who violates the prohibitions or provisions of this
article shall be deemed guilty of a violation. The penalty for such
violation shall be an amount not to exceed $500 for any one offense,
recoverable with costs, and in default of said payment the offender
shall stand committed to the County Jail until such fine and costs
are paid. Each period of 24 hours during or on which a violation occurs
or continues shall be deemed a separate offense.