(a) 
Purpose.
The purposes of this article are:
(1) 
To protect the public potable water supply of the city from the possibility of contamination or pollution by isolating within the customer’s internal distribution systems(s) or the customer’s private water system(s) such contaminants or pollutants that could backflow into the public water system;
(2) 
To promote the elimination or control of existing cross-connections, actual or potential, between the customer’s in-plant potable water system(s) and nonpotable water system(s), plumbing fixtures, and industrial piping systems; and
(3) 
To provide for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control that will systematically and effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of the potable water systems.
(b) 
Responsibility for enforcement.
The city water department shall be responsible for the protection of the public potable water distribution system from contamination or pollution due to the backflow of contaminants or pollutants through the water service connection due to poor, improper or lack of timely maintenance of backflow devices which are required by the city plumbing code. Failure, refusal or inability on the part of the customer to perform immediate maintenance as required by federal, state or local law shall constitute grounds for discontinuing water service to the premises until such requirements have been satisfactorily met.
(1998 Code, sec. 11.1001)
For the purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply except when the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Approved.
Accepted by the authority responsible as meeting an applicable specification stated or cited in this article or as suitable for the proper use.
Auxiliary water supply.
Any water supply on or available to the premises other than the purveyor’s approved public water supply. These auxiliary water [supplies] may include water from another purveyor’s public potable water supply or any natural source such as a well, spring, river, stream, harbor, and so forth, used waters, or industrial fluids. These waters may be contaminated or polluted or they may be objectionable and constitute an unacceptable water source over which the water purveyor does not have sanitary control.
Backflow.
The undesirable reversal of flow in a potable water distribution as a result of a cross-connection.
Backpressure.
A pressure, higher than the supply pressure, caused by a pump, elevated tank boiler or any other means that may cause backflow.
Backsiphonage.
Backflow caused by negative or reduced pressure in the supply piping.
Cross-connection.
A connection or a potential connection between any part of a potable water system and any environment containing other substances as defined in the city plumbing code.
Department.
The city water department, which 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.
High health hazard.
A cross-connection or potential cross-connection involving any substance that could, if introduced in the potable water supply, cause death or illness, spread disease, or have a high probability of causing such effects. A high health hazard shall include, but is not limited to, chemical plants using a water process, hospitals, mortuaries, clinics, laboratories, connections with auxiliary water supplies and marinas.
Pollution.
The presence of any foreign substance in water that tends to degrade its quality so as to constitute a non-health hazard or impair the usefulness of the water.
Service connection.
The terminal end of a service connection from the public potable water system. That is, 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 shall be no unprotected take-offs from the service line ahead of any meter or backflow prevention assembly located at the point of delivery to the customer’s water system. Service connection shall also include water connection from a fire hydrant and all other temporary or emergency water service connections from the public potable water system.
(1998 Code, sec. 11.1002)
(a) 
No water service connection to any premises shall be installed or maintained by the water purveyor unless the water supply is protected as required by federal or state laws or regulations or this code. Service of water to any premises shall be discontinued by the water purveyor if a backflow prevention assembly required by this code is not installed, tested and maintained, or if it is found that a backflow prevention assembly has been removed or bypassed or if an unprotected cross-connection exists on the premises. Service will not be restored until such conditions or defects are corrected.
(b) 
The customer’s system shall be open for inspection at all reasonable times to authorized representatives of the city water department to determine whether cross-connections or other sanitary hazards, including violations of these regulations, exist. When such a condition becomes known, the city water department shall deny or immediately discontinue service to the premises by providing for a physical break in the service line until the customer has corrected the condition in conformance with federal, state or local laws relating to cross-connections.
(c) 
An approved backflow prevention assembly shall be installed on each service line to a customer’s water service at or near the property line, but in all cases before the first branch line leading off the service line, wherever the following conditions exist:
(1) 
In the case of premises having an auxiliary water supply that is not acceptable as an additional source by the city water department;
(2) 
In the case of premises on which any industrial fluids or any other objectionable substances are handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard to the public water system;
(3) 
As required by the city plumbing code.
(d) 
Any backflow prevention assembly required herein shall be a model and size approved by the city and shall be appropriate to the degree of hazard. The city shall maintain a list of companies approved to test and certify backflow prevention assemblies.
(e) 
It shall be the duty of the customer or user at any premises where backflow prevention assemblies are installed to have certified inspections and operational tests made at least once per year, in the event it is determined that a high health hazard exists. In those instances where the city water department deems the hazard to be great enough, certified inspections may be required at more frequent intervals. These inspections and tests shall be at the expense of the water user and shall be performed by an assembly manufacturer’s representative or by a certified tester approved by the state commission on environmental quality. It shall be the duty of the city water department to see that these tests are done in a timely manner. The customer or user shall notify the water department in advance when the tests are to be undertaken [and] a representative of the water department may witness the tests if so desired. These assemblies shall be repaired, overhauled or replaced at the expense of the customer or user. Records of such tests, repairs and overhaul shall be presented to the city water department.
(f) 
All presently installed backflow prevention assemblies that do not meet the requirements of this section but were approved at the time of installation shall be exempt from the rules of this section except for the inspection and maintenance requirements until replacement is necessary, at which time an approved assembly shall be installed.
(g) 
New water service customers or customers reestablishing service to an existing connection after service has been suspended or terminated for more than one week shall be required to execute a service agreement prior to the commencement of water service. The service agreement shall require the customer comply with all requirements of this section as a condition for continued water service.
(1998 Code, sec. 11.1003)