(a) 
No installation of potable water supply piping, or part thereof, shall be made in such a manner that allows used, unclean, polluted, or contaminated water, mixtures, gases, or other substances to enter any portion of such piping by reason of backsiphonage, backpressure or any other cause.
(b) 
No person shall install any water-operated equipment or mechanism, or use any water-treating chemical or substance, if it is found that such equipment, mechanism, chemical or substance may cause pollution or contamination of the public potable water supply. Such equipment or mechanism may be permitted only when equipped with an approved backflow prevention assembly.
(c) 
No person shall connect to the public potable water system any mechanism(s) or system(s) designed to return used water to the public potable water system through any measures. An exception to this prohibition is that the mayor may approve installation of mechanism(s) or system(s) designed to return used water to the public potable water system provided such systems have received the approval of the commission or the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
(d) 
No person shall connect to the public potable water system an auxiliary water system without approval of the commission and the mayor.
(Ordinance 185, art. 2, sec. VII, adopted 9/14/98)
(a) 
Installation.
(1) 
General requirements.
(A) 
New, replacement, or reconditioned backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed in accordance with the currently adopted plumbing code. The control of backflow, whether caused by backpressure or backsiphonage, requires the elimination of cross-connections and the installation of an air gap or a backflow prevention assembly. General methods or types of assemblies used for the prevention of backflow shall be approved by the mayor and in conformance with the currently adopted plumbing code. Prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, a complete test and maintenance report of a certificate of occupancy [sic], a complete test and maintenance report of a testable backflow prevention assembly shall be submitted to the utility. Any backflow prevention assembly required herein shall be a make, model and size approved by the (water commissioner or health official). The term “approved backflow prevention assembly” shall mean an assembly that has been manufactured in full conformance with the standards established by the American Water Works Association entitled AWWA/ANSI C510-92, Standard for Double Check Valve Backflow Prevention Assemblies, and AWWA/ANSI C511-92, Standard for Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Prevention Assemblies, and has met completely the laboratory and field performance specifications of the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research of the University of Southern California (USC FCCCHR) established in Specifications of Backflow Assemblies, section 10 of the most current edition of the Manual of Cross-Connection Control.
(B) 
Said AWWA and USC FCCCHR standards and specifications have been adopted by the (water commissioner or health official). Final approval shall be evidenced by a “certificate of compliance” for the AWWA standards, or a “certificate of approval” for the USC FCCCHR specifications, issued by an approved testing laboratory.
(C) 
The following testing laboratory has been qualified by the (water commissioner or health officer) to test and approve backflow prevention assemblies:
Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research
University of California
KAP-200 University Park MC-2531
Los Angeles, California 90090-2531
Testing laboratories other than the laboratory listed above will be added to an approved list as they are qualified by the (water commissioner or health officer).
(D) 
Backflow preventers which may be subjected to backpressure or backsiphonage that have been fully tested and have been granted a certificate of approval by said qualified laboratory and are listed on the laboratory’s current list of approved backflow prevention assemblies may be used without further test or qualification.
(2) 
High hazard installations.
All high hazard testable backflow prevention assemblies protecting the potable water system from hazards that are deleterious or hazardous to the health, safety or life of humans or animals shall comply with one of the following:
(A) 
Install an approved high hazard backflow prevention assembly at the point of connection to the potential hazard. This assembly is required to be certified for operation by a certified backflow prevention technician annually;
(B) 
Install two (2) approved high hazard backflow prevention assemblies in series at the point of connection to the potential hazard. The complete backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed within twenty-four (24) inches from the shutoff valves located on the assembly and shall be certified for operation by a certified backflow technician annually; or
(C) 
Install one high hazard backflow prevention assembly at the point of connection to the potential hazard and an equivalent secondary assembly at the service connection prior to the first branch line off the customer’s service line. The backflow assemblies shall be certified for operation by a certified backflow prevention technician annually.
(3) 
Other installations.
(A) 
A backflow prevention assembly shall be installed to protect the potable water system from contamination or pollution when such system is connected to automatic fire protection systems, standpipe systems, or privately owned fire hydrants.
(B) 
A reduced pressure backflow prevention assembly shall be required if chemicals or additives are combined or added to any fire protection system.
(C) 
Installation of a reduced pressure backflow prevention assembly shall be required on temporary water meters connected to the public potable water system for use at construction sites and for temporary water appropriation from fire hydrants.
(4) 
Wholesale operations.
Any customer purchasing water for the purpose of resale or distribution shall:
(A) 
Install an air gap separation or a reduced pressure backflow assembly at the service connection, certified for operation upon installation and annually thereafter by a certified backflow prevention assembly technician, forwarding the results to the mayor within ten (10) days; or
(B) 
Implement a plumbing inspection and cross-connection control program not less restrictive than that of the city and provide annual program records to the mayor for review and audit.
(5) 
Government customers.
Any premises owned, operated, or occupied by a state, federal, or foreign government or agency refusing to comply with the provisions of this article shall install a reduced pressure backflow prevention assembly at each service connection, being certified and tested for proper operation upon installation and annually thereafter. In those instances where the mayor deems potential or actual hazard to be where the mayor deems potential or actual hazard to be [sic] deleterious to human health, certified inspections and operational testing shall be required annually.
(6) 
Water hauling trucks.
Water hauling trucks obtaining water from the utility’s public potable water system shall have an approved air gap separation or a reduced pressure backflow prevention assembly installed permanently on the vehicle, and said assembly shall be registered with the utility and certified for operation annually.
(b) 
Existing backflow prevention assemblies.
The premises owner, customer or the designated representative shall have all testable backflow prevention assemblies located on the premises certified for operation by a certified backflow prevention technician on an annual basis thereafter unless otherwise specified within this article.
(c) 
Quality control.
The utility reserves the right to maintain a program of quality control by initiating the following measures:
(1) 
Retesting of any backflow prevention assembly certified as operational;
(2) 
Notifying the technician certifying the operation of a backflow prevention assembly of test discrepancies;
(3) 
Taking legal action against the certified technician for three testing or reporting discrepancies verified within a two-year period, commencing with the first discrepancy, including without limitation:
(A) 
False, incomplete, or inaccurate reporting of test completion or certification of a backflow prevention assembly;
(B) 
Use of inaccurate gauges; and
(C) 
Improper operational certification method.
(d) 
Test and maintenance reports.
All backflow tests and maintenance reports shall be completed in their entirety.
(Ordinance 185, art. 2, sec. VIII, adopted 9/14/98)
(a) 
It shall be the duty of the customer at any premises where backflow prevention assemblies are installed to have certified inspections and operational tests conducted annually. In those instances where the mayor deems the hazard to be deleterious to human health, certified inspections may be required semiannually. Inspections and tests shall be at the expense of the owner, owner’s representative, or customer and shall be performed by a certified backflow technician.
(b) 
Assemblies shall be repaired, overhauled, or replaced at the expense of the customer whenever said assemblies are found to be defective. Records of such tests, repairs, and overhaul shall be kept and made available to the mayor within five (5) days of the tests, repairs or overhaul of each backflow prevention assembly.
(c) 
No device or assembly shall be removed from use, relocated, or other device or assembly substituted without the approval of the mayor. Whenever the existing assembly is moved from the present location, or requires more than minimum maintenance, or when the mayor finds that the maintenance constitutes a hazard to health, the unit shall be replaced by a backflow prevention assembly complying with the requirements of this article and the current plumbing code.
(d) 
The mayor shall conduct a cross-connection survey of the customer’s potable water system before providing service and periodically thereafter to prevent cross-connections between the customer’s potable water system and contamination or pollution sources. Continuous efforts shall be made to locate possible cross-connections between the customer’s potable water systems and the public potable water supply. Unprotected cross-connections shall be located and eliminated to prevent contamination within either potable water supply system.
(Ordinance 185, art. 2, sec. IX, adopted 9/14/98)
The customer is responsible for general maintenance and upkeep of an approved backflow prevention assembly. Where an owner of property leases or rents the same to any person as tenant or lessee, the owner or tenant or both may be held responsible by the mayor for maintenance.
(Ordinance 185, art. 2, sec. X, adopted 9/14/98)
(a) 
Each applicant certified as a backflow prevention assembly technician shall furnish evidence to show that he/she has available the necessary tools and equipment to properly test and certify such assembles. The serial number of each test kit shall be on record with the utility. Annually, each recorded test kit shall be tested for accuracy and calibrated to maintain a 2% accuracy factor. The technician shall be responsible for performing competent and accurate certifications of backflow prevention assemblies tested and submit complete reports thereof to the mayor.
(b) 
Registration by backflow prevention assembly technicians must include all test gauges to be used by said technician. Beginning __________, serial numbers of all test gauges shall be registered with the mayor. Registered serial numbers of test gauges shall be listed on test and maintenance reports prior to being submitted to the mayor. Failure to register the serial number or calibrate gauges annually shall be grounds for revocation of a technician’s registration. Certified technicians shall not change the design or operational characteristics of an assembly during repair or maintenance without prior approval of the mayor.
(Ordinance 185, art. 2, sec. XI, adopted 9/14/98)
Utility personnel, in order to enforce the provisions of this article, shall be certified by the state commission on environmental quality as a customer service inspector.
(Ordinance 185, art. 2, sec. XII, adopted 9/14/98)