Note: Section 8-10A.01. Cross Connection Control - General Policy. (Ord. 2003-01, eff. 3/6/03)
(a) 
To protect the public potable water supply of the City of Santa Maria from the possibility of contamination or pollution by isolating within the responsible party's internal or private water system(s) such contaminants or pollutants which could backflow into the public water distribution system; and
(b) 
To promote the elimination or control of existing cross connections, actual or potential, between the responsible party's in-plant potable water system(s) and non-potable water system(s), plumbing fixtures, and industrial piping system(s); and
(c) 
To provide for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross connection control which shall systematically and effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of the publicly owned potable water system.
Approved.
Accepted by the Director of Utilities as meeting an applicable specification stated or cited in this ordinance, or as suitable for the proposed site.
Approved Backflow Prevention Assembly.
A means or manufactured device in full conformance with the standards established by the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 17 - Group 4 - Article 1 (June 6, 1987) or successor section, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) or its successor organization, which has met the laboratory and field performance specifications of the Foundation for Cross Connection Control and Hydraulic Research (FCCC&HR) of the University of Southern California (USC) and have been published in the Manual of Cross Connection Control - Tenth Edition, or any successor edition.
Auxiliary Water Supply.
Any water supply on or available to the premises other than the City of Santa Maria public potable water supply.
Backflow.
The undesirable reversal of the normal flow of water or mixtures of water and other liquids, gases, or other substances into the distribution pipes of the public potable water distribution system due to backpressure or backsiphonage from any source.
Backpressure.
Any elevation of pressure in the downstream piping system above the supply pressure which would cause, or tend to cause, a reversal of the normal direction of flow.
Backsiphonage.
A form of backflow due to a reduction in system pressure which causes a subatmospheric pressure to exist at a site in the water system.
Contamination.
An impairment of the quality of the potable water by sewage, reclaimed water, industrial fluids, waste, compounds or other materials to a degree which creates an actual hazard to the public health through poisoning or through the spread of disease.
Cross Connection.
Any unprotected actual or potential connection or structural arrangement of piping or fixtures between two otherwise separate piping systems, one of which contains potable water and the other non-potable or used water, industrial fluids, gas, or substance through which, or because of which, backflow may occur into the potable water system. Cross connection includes 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.
Appropriate type or method of backflow protection at the service connection, commensurate with the degree of hazard of the consumer's potable water system.
Director of Utilities.
The administrator/manager in charge of all aspects of the Utilities Department.
Distribution System.
The network of conduits used for the delivery of potable water from the source to the responsible party's system.
Hazard/Degree of Hazard.
Either a pollutional (non-health) or contamination (health) hazard derived from the evaluation of conditions with a water system:
(1) 
Health Hazard.
An actual or potential threat of contamination of a physical or toxic nature to the public potable water system or the responsible party's potable water system that would be a danger to health.
(2) 
Plumbing Hazard.
An internal piping arrangement creating a cross connection in a responsible party's potable water system that may be a pollution or contamination hazard.
(3) 
Pollutional Hazard.
An actual or potential impairment of the quality of the water to a degree which does not create a hazard to the public health but which does adversely and unreasonably affect the aesthetic qualities of such waters for domestic use, constituting a nuisance or causing the water to appear unclean or unclear.
(4) 
System Hazard.
An actual or potential threat of severe damage to the physical properties of the public or consumer's potable water system, or of a pollution or contamination which would have a protracted effect on the quality of the potable water in the system.
(5) 
Thermal Hazard.
Any condition, device, or practice which causes the water temperature to rise over 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Centigrade) as stated in the Uniform Plumbing Code or its successor publication.
Industrial Fluids System.
Any fluid or solution which may be chemically, biologically or otherwise contaminated or polluted in a form or concentration such as would constitute a hazard if introduced into the City of Santa Maria public potable water supply. This may include, but is not 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 alkaline; 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 that from wells, springs, streams, rivers, bays, harbors, seas, irrigation canals or systems, etc.; oil gases, glycerin, paraffins, caustic and acid solutions and other liquid and gaseous fluids used in industrial or other purposes or for fire fighting purposes.
Operational Tests.
Backflow assembly tests performed to test the functioning capabilities of the assembly using a properly calibrated differential pressure gauge and performed as published in the Manual of Cross Connection Control – Ninth Edition, or any successor edition.
Pollution.
The impairment of the quality of the water to a degree which does not create a hazard to the public health but which does adversely and unreasonably affect the aesthetic qualities of such waters for domestic use.
Potable Water.
Water which is satisfactory for drinking, culinary, and domestic purposes and meets the requirements of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) or its successor organization.
Premises.
Any location, building, structure, residence, garage, room, shed, shop, store, dwelling, lot, parcel, land or portion thereof, whether improved or unimproved.
Process Water.
Water that has been through commercial or industrial procedures rendering it non-potable.
Public Works Director.
Repealed pursuant to Ordinance 2005-01.
Reclaimed Water.
Water resulting from the treatment of wastewater that is categorized as hazardous because it does not meet the requirements of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) or its successor organization as being safe for human consumption, yet suitable for a direct beneficial reuse or a controlled use that would not otherwise occur.
Responsible Party.
The owner, operator, manager or occupant of a building or property which has water service from a public potable water distribution system; the owner, manager or operator of a private water system that has water service from a public potable water distribution system.
Service Connection.
The terminal end of a tie-in to the public potable water system; i.e., the location where the City of Santa Maria loses jurisdiction and sanitary control over the water. If a meter is installed at the end of the service connection, then the service connection means the downstream end of the meter.
Service Line.
A line of private piping extending from the service connection to the responsible party's point(s) of use.
Used Water.
Any water supplied by a water purveyor from a public potable water distribution system to a responsible party's water system after it has passed through the point of delivery and is no longer under the sanitary control of the water purveyor.
Utilities Manager.
Repealed pursuant to Ordinance 2005-01.
Water System.
In the City of Santa Maria, the water system is made up of two parts:
(1) 
The public potable water distribution system includes all the facilities and the network of conduits used for the delivery of water that remain under the complete control of the City of Santa Maria up to the point where the responsible party's system begins.
(2) 
The responsible party's system includes those parts used for the delivery of water to points of use located on the responsible party's premises beyond the termination of the public potable water distribution system.
(Ord. 2007-08, eff. 7/5/07; Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05; Ord. 2024-05, eff. 5/16/2024)
The Director of Utilities shall have the authority to protect the public potable water distribution system from contamination or pollution due to the backflow of contaminants or pollutants through the water service connection.
(Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05)
(a) 
No responsible party shall install or maintain a service connection to the City of Santa Maria public potable water distribution system without first installing one or more approved backflow prevention assemblies as required in this article. Installation(s) shall be at the expense of the responsible party and shall be performed by a plumbing contractor licensed by the State of California.
(b) 
In the event of new property development, re-construction, renovation, or restoration where there is a direct connection to the City's potable water system, the responsible party shall seek prior approval from the Director of Utilities or his/her designee for the backflow prevention assembly(s) intended for installation through the Community Development Department plan approval and permitting process.
(c) 
In all cases it shall be the obligation of the responsible party to contact the City of Santa Maria Utilities Department during any construction involving water service, and in all cases in which the City of Santa Maria has been made aware of an existing cross connection, an approved backflow prevention assembly is required at the responsible party's existing water service connection, or within the responsible party's existing private water system. The Director of Utilities or his/her designee shall give notice in writing to said responsible party to install an approved backflow prevention assembly(s) at a specific location(s) at the responsible party's own expense.
(d) 
All backflow prevention assembly installations - including spatial requirements and assembly orientation - shall be performed according to the FCCC&HR of USC as established in the Manual of Cross-Connection Control - Specifications of Backflow Prevention Assemblies, Tenth Edition, or any successor edition.
(e) 
All backflow prevention assemblies installed prior to adoption of this ordinance which do not meet the specific requirements as defined in the section entitled "regulation," but were approved devices for the purposes described herein at the time of installation and which have been properly maintained, shall be exempt from the requirements of this section as long as the assemblies pass all required tests and replacement parts remain available. When that is no longer the case, the assembly must be replaced by an approved assembly that meets the requirements set forth in this chapter.
(f) 
Whenever an existing assembly is moved from the present location or requires more than minimum maintenance, or when the Director of Utilities or his/her designee finds that the maintenance constitutes a hazard to the public potable water distribution system, the responsible party shall replace the assembly with an approved backflow prevention assembly that meets the requirements set forth in this article.
(g) 
Cross connection control by containment at the service connection shall be utilized by the responsible party in the case of any premises where there are actual or potential unprotected cross connections within the responsible party's water system and it is physically and economically infeasible to find and permanently eliminate them.
(h) 
The responsible party shall install an approved backflow prevention assembly on each service line to a responsible party's water system at or near the property line or immediately inside any building being provided water from the public potable water distribution system, but in all cases, before the first branch line leading off the service line, where one or more of the following conditions exist:
(1) 
In the case of premises having an auxiliary water supply (including reclaimed water) which is not, or may not, be safe from bacteriological or chemical contamination, and which is not acceptable as an additional source by the City of Santa Maria, the public potable water distribution system shall be protected from backflow by the installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line appropriate to the degree of hazard.
(2) 
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 potable water distribution system, the water distribution system shall be protected against backflow from the premises by the installation of 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 water distribution system which have been subject to deterioration in quality.
(3) 
In the case of premises (a) having one or more internal cross connections that cannot be permanently corrected or controlled, or (b) having intricate plumbing and piping arrangements, or (c) where entry to all portions of the premises are not readily accessible for inspection purposes making it impractical or impossible to ascertain whether or not dangerous cross connections exist, the public potable water distribution system shall be protected against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line.
(i) 
No responsible party shall remove, alter, repipe, or by-pass backflow prevention assemblies required by this ordinance or maintain an existing unprotected actual or potential cross connection.
(j) 
No responsible party shall install or maintain an unprotected takeoff from the service line ahead of any meter or any backflow prevention assembly located at the point of delivery to the responsible party's water system.
(k) 
Within 10 days after notice of the backflow prevention assembly(s) installation requirements, the responsible party may submit a written request for review of the requirement with the Director of Utilities or his/her designee. A meeting with the Director, or Director's designee, will be scheduled within 10 days after receipt of the request. The Director/designee will issue a written response within 10 days after completion of the meeting. The Director/designee's response shall be final.
(l) 
Failure, refusal or inability on the part of the responsible party to install required assembly(s) shall be grounds to curtail water service to the premises until all requirements have been satisfactorily met.
(Ord. 2007-08, eff. 7/5/07; Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05; Ord. 2024-05, eff. 5/16/2024)
(a) 
It shall be the duty of the responsible party at any premises where backflow prevention assemblies are installed to have operational tests made upon each assembly upon initial installation and at least once per year thereafter. These tests shall be at the expense of the responsible party and shall be performed by a certified City of Santa Maria approved backflow prevention assembly tester.
(b) 
The Director of Utilities or his/her designee may require additional inspections and operational tests if contamination or the potential to contaminate the public potable water distribution system has been detected. Additional testing may also be required based upon CCR, Title 17 - Group 4 - Article 1 (June 6, 1987) or successor section. These inspections and tests shall be at the expense of the responsible party and shall be performed by a certified City of Santa Maria approved backflow prevention assembly tester.
(c) 
The responsible party shall notify the Director of Utilities or his/her designee in advance when additional tests are to be undertaken so that Utilities Department qualified personnel may witness the test(s) if so desired.
(d) 
All backflow assembly operational tests shall be performed using a properly calibrated differential pressure gauge. Calibration shall be done on an annual basis, and proof of calibration shall be submitted to the City of Santa Maria. Operational testing methods used shall be those from the FCCC&HR of USC as established in the Manual of Cross Connection Control - Specifications of Backflow Prevention Assemblies, ninth edition, or any successor edition.
(e) 
The responsible party shall have repaired, overhauled or replaced any backflow assembly which fails to meet testing requirements without manipulation by a certified City of Santa Maria approved backflow prevention assembly tester. The assembly shall be retested by a certified City of Santa Maria approved backflow prevention assembly tester ensuring it passes all testing requirements. Should repair costs exceed $500.00, or if the assembly must be replaced, such work shall be completed by a California State Licensed C-36 Plumbing Contractor and/or California State General Engineering Contractor.
(f) 
Within 10 days after notice of the backflow prevention assembly(s) testing requirements, the responsible party may submit a written request for review of the requirement with the Director of Utilities or his/her designee. A meeting with the Director or Director's designee will be scheduled within 10 days after receipt of the request. The Director/designee will issue a written response within 10 days after completion of the meeting. The Director of Utilities/designee's response shall be final.
(g) 
Failure, refusal or inability on the part of the responsible party to test and maintain required assembly(s) shall be grounds for discontinuing water service to the premises until all requirements have been satisfactorily met.
(h) 
The responsible party shall complete testing within 15 days after installation of a new device.
(Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05; Ord. 2024-05, eff. 5/16/2024)
(a) 
It shall be the duty of the responsible party to submit all records and documentation of any and all inspections, tests, repairs, renovations, rebuilds, restorations, or replacements of backflow assembly(s) to the City of Santa Maria Utilities Department.
(b) 
For a period of three years after their creation, the responsible party shall maintain copies of all reports, records, and documentation in the standard form currently utilized by the Utilities Department. The responsible party shall supply copies of these documents to the Director of Utilities or his/her designee upon request.
(Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05)
(a) 
An approved air gap separation is a means of preventing backflow by a physical separation between the free flowing discharge end of a potable water supply pipeline and an open or non-pressure receiving vessel. An approved air gap separation shall be at least double the diameter of the supply pipe, measured vertically, above the overflow rim of the vessel, and in no case shall be less than one inch. The approved air gap separation shall meet performance specifications as determined by the Director of Utilities or his/her designee.
(b) 
An approved Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker Backsiphonage Prevention Assembly (AVB) shall be an assembly containing an air inlet valve, a check seat and an air inlet port(s). The flow of water into the body causes the air inlet valve to close the inlet pert(s). When the flow of water stops, the air inlet valve falls and forms a check valve against backsiphonage. At the same time it opens the air inlet port(s) allowing air to enter and satisfy the vacuum. A shutoff valve immediately upstream may be an integral part of the assembly, but the assembly shall not be subjected to operating pressure for more than 12 hours in any 24 hour period. An atmospheric vacuum breaker is designed to protect against a non-health hazard or a health hazard under a backsiphonage condition only.
(c) 
An approved Double Check - Detector Backflow Prevention Assembly (DCDA) shall be a specially designed assembly composed of a line-size approved double check valve assembly with a bypass containing a specific water meter and an approved double check valve assembly. The meter shall register accurately for only very low rates of flow up to 2 gallons per minute (gpm) and shall show a registration for all rates of flow. The DCDA shall only be used to protect against a non-health hazard and is primarily used on fire sprinkler systems.
(d) 
An approved Double Check Valve Backflow Prevention Assembly (DC) shall be an assembly composed of two independently acting, approved check valves, including tightly closing resilient seated shutoff valves attached at each end of the assembly and fitted with properly located resilient seated test cocks. The DC shall be readily accessible for inline testing and maintenance and shall be installed in a location where no part of the assembly is submerged. The DC shall only be used to protect against a non-health hazard.
(e) 
An approved Pressure Vacuum Breaker Backsiphonage Prevention Assembly (PVB) shall be an assembly containing an independently operating internally loaded check valve and an independently operating loaded air inlet valve located on the discharge side of the check valve. The assembly is to be equipped with properly located resilient seated test cocks and tightly closing resilient seated shutoff valves attached at each end of the assembly. This assembly is designed to protect against a non-health hazard or a health hazard under backsiphonage condition only.
(f) 
An approved Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Prevention Assembly (RP) shall be an assembly containing two independently acting approved check valves together with a hydraulically operating, mechanically independent pressure differential relief valve located between the check valves and at the same time below the first check valve. The unit shall include properly located resilient seated test cocks and tightly closing resilient seated shutoff valves at each end of the assembly. This assembly is designed to protect against a non-health or health hazard.
(g) 
An approved Spill-Resistant Pressure Vacuum Breaker Backsiphonage Prevention Assembly (SVB) shall be an assembly containing an independently operating internally loaded check valve and independently operating loaded air inlet valve located on the discharge side of the check valve. The assembly is to be equipped with a properly located resilient seated test cock, a properly located bleed/vent valve, and tightly closing resilient seated shutoff valves attached at each end of the assembly. This assembly is designed to protect against a non-health hazard or a health hazard under a backsiphonage condition only.
(h) 
In all cases the backflow prevention assembly installed at any location to protect the City of Santa Maria public water supply shall be on the current List of Approved Backflow Prevention Assemblies, which supersedes all prior lists, published by the University of Southern California Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research.
(i) 
Unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer all assemblies are to be installed on cold potable water applications - below 110°F. All listed assemblies are approved for the indicated orientation only, and the use of spare parts other than those of the original manufacturer invalidates approval.
(j) 
The Director of Utilities or his/her designee shall approve the model and size of backflow prevention assembly required based upon the degree of hazard, as follows:
(1) 
In the case of any premises served by an auxiliary water supply which is not subject to any of subsections (2) through (6) below, the public potable water distribution system shall be protected by an approved air gap separation or, if acceptable, an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.
(2) 
In the case of any premises containing water or substances that would be a pollutional hazard if introduced into potable water, the public potable water distribution system shall be protected by an approved reduced pressure principle assembly.
(3) 
In the case of any premises at which there exists any material or practice that would constitute an actual or potential health hazard to the water distribution system, the water distribution system shall be protected by an approved air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly. Examples of premises where these conditions exist are sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, water reclamation plants, chemical manufacturing plants, hospitals, mortuaries, and plating plants.
(4) 
In the case of any premises where there are uncontrolled cross connections, either actual or potential, the public potable water distribution system shall be protected by an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly at the service connection.
(5) 
In the case where reclaimed water is used on premises which have interconnection with the water distribution system, the water distribution system shall be protected by an approved air gap separation or, if acceptable, an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly at the service connection.
(6) 
In the case of any premises where, because of security requirements or other prohibitions or restrictions, it is impossible or impractical to make a complete in-plant cross connection survey, the water distribution system shall be protected against backflow from the premises by an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly on each service to the premises.
(k) 
The responsible party's system shall be open for inspection at all reasonable times during regular business hours to authorized representatives of the City of Santa Maria to determine whether cross connections, other structural or sanitary hazards, or other violations of these regulations exist.
(Ord. 2007-08, eff. 7/5/07; Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05; Ord. 2024-05, eff. 5/16/2024)
(a) 
A Notice of Violation shall be given to any responsible party found to be in violation of any provision of this ordinance. The violation shall be corrected within the time frame given in the Notice of Violation. If the Director of Utilities or his/her designee determines that the violation is creating or contributing to the existence of an imminent hazard, the responsible party shall be required to correct the violation immediately.
(b) 
Water service may be terminated after a third violation of the same provision within a one-year period. Any person violating any provision of this ordinance shall pay to the City all expenses incurred by the City in repairing any damage to the public water distribution system caused in whole or in part by such violation and any expense incurred by the City in investigating such violation.
(c) 
In addition to other remedies in this ordinance, any responsible party violating any of the provisions herein is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof is punishable in accordance with Chapters 1-6 of the Santa Maria Municipal Code (SMMC). As additional remedies, any responsible party in violation of this code may be subject to summary abatement proceedings, restraining order, injunction issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, administrative citation pursuant to Chapter 1-9 of the SMMC, administrative penalty pursuant to Chapter 1-8 of the SMMC code, or any other remedy provided by law.
(Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05)