The purposes of this article are as follows:
(a) 
To protect the public potable water supply of Irving from the possibility of contamination or pollution by isolating within the consumer's internal distribution system(s) or the consumer's private water system(s) contaminants or pollutants which could backflow into the public water systems.
(b) 
To promote the elimination or control of existing cross-connections, actual or potential, between the consumer's in-plant potable water system(s) and non-potable water system(s), plumbing fixtures, and industrial piping systems.
(c) 
To provide for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control which will systematically and effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of the public potable water supply of the city.
(Ordinance 8140, § 1, adopted 3/20/2003)
The director is 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. If, in the judgment of the director, an approved backflow prevention assembly is required at the consumer's water service connection or within the consumer's private water system for the safety of the water system, the director may require a consumer to install an approved backflow prevention assembly at a specific location on his or her premises.
(Ordinance 8140, § 1, adopted 3/20/2003)
(a) 
It is unlawful for any consumer to fail to immediately install, have tested, and maintain in proper working order, at the consumer's expense, an approved backflow prevention assembly required by the director.
(b) 
If the consumer fails, refuses, or is unable to install, have tested, and maintain an approved backflow assembly requested by the director, the director may discontinue water service to the premises until the requirements have been satisfactorily met. Alternatively, the director may have such installation, tests, or maintenance done and add their costs to the consumer's water bill.
(c) 
Installation requirements.
To ensure proper operation and accessibility of all approved backflow prevention assemblies, the following shall apply to the installation of these assemblies:
(1) 
Backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed in accordance with AWWA/ANSI C510, AWWA/ANSI C511, and USC Manual of Cross-Connection Control. The assembly installer shall obtain the required plumbing permits, and have the assembly tested according to section 41-21(a) of this article.
(2) 
At those facilities where the director requires a backflow prevention assembly to be installed at the point of delivery of the water supply, such installation of the assembly shall be located within the limits of the property which the assembly is serving, and within a dedicated water easement as indicated in the most recent version of the City of Irving Water and Wastewater Standard Details.
(3) 
All vertical installations of backflow assemblies shall have prior written approval by the director. Specific make, model, and size for installation shall be submitted for approval.
(4) 
Bypass lines are strictly prohibited unless given prior written approval by the director.
(5) 
No backflow prevention assembly shall be removed from use or relocated, nor may one backflow prevention assembly be substituted for another, without prior approval from the director.
(6) 
All backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed in a manner for ease of access or no higher than five feet above grade. If a backflow prevention assembly must be installed higher than five feet above grade, a permanent platform shall be installed around the assembly. Any currently installed backflow prevention assemblies which, in the opinion of the director, are located in inaccessible locations, or where the tester is subject to physical danger, shall be relocated to an approved location.
(7) 
All facilities that require continuous, uninterrupted water service and are required to have a backflow prevention assembly shall make provision for parallel installation of backflow prevention assemblies of the same type so that testing, repair, and maintenance can be performed.
(8) 
The property owner assumes all responsibility for any damages resulting from the installation, operation, and/or maintenance of a backflow prevention assembly.
(9) 
Upon completion of installation, the director shall be notified of the date of installation, manufacturer, model, type, size, serial number, location, and initial test report of the approved backflow prevention assembly.
(d) 
Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assemblies or RPPA.
In the absence of an air gap, reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assemblies shall be utilized at premises where a substance is handled that would be hazardous to health if introduced into the potable water system.
(1) 
All RPPAs shall be protected from freezing and other severe weather conditions with an approved enclosure.
(2) 
No part of an RPPA shall be submerged in water or installed in a location subject to flooding.
(3) 
All RPPAs shall be installed in a horizontal orientation.
(4) 
Enclosures shall be designed for ready access and sized to allow for the minimum clearances.
a. 
Assemblies two inches and smaller shall have at least six inches of clearance on both sides and on top of the assembly, and 12 inches below and behind the assembly.
b. 
Assemblies larger than two inches shall have a minimum of 12 inches on the back side, 24 inches on the test cock side, and the relief valve opening shall be at least 12 inches above the floor or highest possible water level.
(5) 
Any deviation from these requirements must have written approval from the director.
(e) 
Reduced pressure principle detector backflow prevention assemblies or RPDA.
Reduced pressure principle detector backflow prevention assemblies may be utilized in all installations requiring a reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly and detector metering.
(1) 
All RPDAs shall comply with the protection requirements for the RPPA.
(2) 
The line-size backflow prevention assembly and the bypass backflow prevention assembly shall be tested and maintained.
(f) 
Double check valve backflow prevention assemblies or DCVA.
Double check valve backflow prevention assemblies may utilized at premises where a substance is handled that would be objectionable but not hazardous to health if introduced into the potable water system.
(1) 
All DCVAs shall be readily accessible with adequate room for testing and maintenance. DCVAs may be installed below grade, providing all test cocks are fitted with brass pipe plugs. All vaults shall be well-drained, constructed of suitable materials, and sized to allow for the minimum clearances.
a. 
Assemblies two inches and smaller shall have at least six inches of clearance below and on both sides of the assembly and, if located in a vault, the bottom of the assembly shall be not more than 24 inches below grade.
b. 
Assemblies larger than two inches shall have a minimum of 12 inches on the back side, 24 inches on the test cock side, and the relief valve opening shall be at least 12 inches above the floor or highest possible water level.
(2) 
Any deviation from these requirements must have written approval from the director.
(g) 
Double check detector backflow prevention assemblies or DCDA.
Double check detector backflow prevention assemblies may be utilized in all installations requiring a double check valve assembly and detector metering.
(1) 
All DCDAs shall comply with the protection requirements for the DCVA.
(2) 
The line-size backflow prevention assembly and the bypass backflow prevention assembly shall be tested and maintained.
(Ordinance 8140, § 1, adopted 3/20/2003; Ordinance 2025-11144 adopted 8/28/2025)
(a) 
Policy.
The city will not install or maintain a water service connection to any premises unless the water supply is protected as required by all applicable laws and regulations of the city and of the state. Service of water to any premises may be discontinued by the city if a backflow prevention assembly required by this article is not of the proper type, is not approved by the city, is not installed, tested successfully, and maintained, or if a backflow prevention assembly has been removed, bypassed, or if an unprotected cross-connection exists on the premises. Service will not be restored until such conditions or defects are corrected. The city shall determine the type and location of the backflow prevention assembly to be installed within the area served by the city.
(b) 
General requirements.
(1) 
Before a consumer may receive a certificate of occupancy or potable water service from the city's system, the consumer shall submit to the director when the director asks for it, a complete installation, test, and maintenance report of a testable backflow prevention assembly showing successful completion of the test.
(2) 
The consumer shall open his or her system for inspection at all reasonable times to the director to determine whether unprotected cross-connections or other structural or sanitary hazards, including violations of this article, exist. When such a condition becomes known, the director may deny or immediately discontinue service to the premises by providing a physical break in the service line until the consumer has corrected the condition(s) in compliance with the city's ordinances relating to plumbing and water supplies.
(3) 
The consumer shall install an approved backflow prevention assembly, if required by the director on each service line to his or her water system at or near the property line or at a location approved by the director;
(4) 
If the consumer's premises have an auxiliary water supply that is not or may not be of safe bacteriological or chemical quality, the consumer shall protect the public water system against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line commensurate with the degree of hazard.
(5) 
If any industrial fluid or any other objectionable substance, including process waters and waters originating from the city's system which have been or may have been subject to deterioration in quality, is handled on the consumer's premises in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard to the public water system, the consumer shall protect the public system against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line commensurate with the degree of hazard.
(6) 
If the consumer's premises have internal cross-connections that cannot be permanently corrected or protected against, or intricate plumbing and piping arrangements, or if 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 or may exist, the consumer shall protect the public water system against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line.
(7) 
The owner of any nonresidential building greater than one story elevation shall install, test, and maintain approved backflow devices at locations approved by the director.
(8) 
The owner of any multifamily residential building structure greater than two-story elevation shall install, test, and maintain approved backflow devices at locations approved by the director.
(9) 
The consumer shall protect all boilers with an approved air-gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle device.
(10) 
The consumer shall install, test, and maintain an approved backflow device on all bypass systems as required by the director.
(11) 
The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where there is an auxiliary water supply with an approved air-gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.
(12) 
The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where there is water or any substance that would be objectionable but may not be hazardous to health if introduced into the public water system, with an approved double check valve backflow prevention assembly.
(13) 
The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where there is any material dangerous to health that is handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard with an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly. Examples of premises where these conditions exist include sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, chemical manufacturing plants, hospitals, mortuaries, and plating plants.
(14) 
The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where there are unprotected cross connections, either actual or potential, with an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly at the service connections.
(15) 
The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where, because of security requirements or other prohibition restrictions, it is impossible or impractical to make a complete in-plant cross-connection survey, against backflow from the premises with either an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly on each service to the premises.
(16) 
The consumer shall protect the public water system from any standard fire sprinkler system with an approved double check detector backflow prevention assembly.
(17) 
The consumer shall protect the public water system from any antifreeze-protected or chemically injected fire sprinkler system with an approved reduced pressure principle detector backflow prevention assembly.
(18) 
The consumer shall protect the public water system on any premises where materials are being used such that if a backflow event should occur a health hazard could result from contaminants with an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.
(Ordinance 8140. § 1, adopted 3/20/2003; Ordinance 2025-11144 adopted 8/28/2025)
(a) 
It is unlawful for any person to install, test, use, or maintain any backflow prevention assembly that is not an approved backflow prevention assembly evidenced by a "certificate of compliance" or "certificate of approval" issued by an approved testing laboratory.
(b) 
The following testing laboratory has been approved by the director to test and approve backflow prevention assemblies:
Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research
University of Southern California
KAP-200 University Park MC-2531
Los Angeles, California 90089-2531
(c) 
Testing laboratories other than the laboratory listed above may be added to this section if they are qualified by the director.
(d) 
Backflow preventers which may be subjected to backpressure or backsiphonage that are listed on the laboratory's current list of approved backflow prevention assemblies may be used without further qualification.
(e) 
The consumer at any premises where backflow prevention assemblies are installed shall have a field test performed by a certified backflow prevention assembly tester upon installation and annually thereafter on assemblies installed to protect from contamination and pollution. The director may require field tests at more frequent intervals. These tests shall be at the expense of the consumer and shall be performed by a certified tester approved by the director.
(f) 
The consumer shall notify the director in advance when the tests are to be undertaken so that the director may witness the field tests.
(g) 
The consumer at his or her own expense, shall repair, overhaul, or replace any assembly that is defective.
(h) 
The consumer shall keep for a period not less than three years records of all tests, repairs, and overhauls of each backflow prevention assembly under his or her control and make them available to the director no later than 10 days after the test, repair, or overhaul of each backflow prevention assembly.
(i) 
It is an affirmative defense to this section, except for the testing and maintenance requirements, that the backflow prevention assembly was installed before March 20, 2003, and was approved at the time of installation.
(j) 
If an existing assembly is moved from its present location or requires more than minimum maintenance or if the director finds that the maintenance work required by the backflow prevention assembly could in itself create a hazard to health, the consumer shall replace the assembly with an approved backflow prevention assembly meeting the requirements of this section.
(k) 
It is unlawful for any person to use, install, test, or maintain a reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly that does not 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 (i.e., pollutant) or a health hazard, (i.e., contaminant). This assembly shall not be used for backflow protection of sewage or reclaimed water.
(l) 
It is unlawful for any person to use install, test, or maintain a double check valve backflow prevention assembly or a double check detector backflow prevention assembly to protect against anything other than a non-health hazard (i.e., pollutant).
(m) 
It is unlawful for any person to fail to properly protect any plumbing hazard with an appropriate type of backflow prevention assembly.
(Ordinance 8140, § 1, adopted 3/20/2003; Ordinance 2020-10405, § 2, adopted 12/10/2020; Ordinance 2025-11144 adopted 8/28/2025)
(a) 
The director shall administer an inspection program to ensure that backflow prevention assemblies are properly maintained and operated. The director, in administering the inspection program, may take into account the complexity and operating characteristics of the assemblies and the protection afforded the potable water system by the assemblies.
(b) 
Backflow tester registration.
Each consumer shall cause all testing and inspections to be performed by a certified backflow prevention assembly tester who is approved by the director and registered with the city.
(1) 
A certified backflow assembly tester may make application with the office of the director. The director shall determine whether an applicant is eligible for registration. Eligibility may be established upon verification of applicant as a state licensed backflow prevention assembly tester. An approved backflow tester registration is valid for a one year term from the date of application. A tester's registration may be revoked for cause related to any violations of this chapter.
(2) 
Each applicant certified as a backflow prevention assembly tester shall furnish evidence to show that he/she has available the necessary tools and equipment to properly test and certify such assemblies. The serial number of each test kit shall be on record with the city. Annually, the tester shall cause each recorded test kit to be tested for accuracy and calibrated to maintain a two percent accuracy factor. The tester shall perform competent and accurate certifications of backflow prevention assemblies tested and submit complete reports of the testing to the director.
(3) 
Backflow prevention assembly testers shall register all test gauges and corresponding serial numbers to be used by them. They shall list registered serial numbers of test gauges on tests and maintenance reports prior to submitting them to the director. The director may revoke a tester's registration for failure to register a serial number or to calibrate gauges annually. Certified testers shall not change the design or operation characteristics of an assembly during repair or maintenance without prior approval of the director.
(4) 
An applicant wishing to perform testing and inspections on backflow prevention assemblies shall produce documentation as required by the director and pay a backflow tester registration fee in the amount as established in the city's consolidated fee schedule. The fee applies to first-time registrants and renewals.
(c) 
It is unlawful for any person to use, install, test, or maintain any backflow prevention assembly that does not have a functional test cock.
(d) 
It is unlawful for any person to use, install, test, or maintain any backflow prevention assembly that does not have identification including the size, model number, and serial number at least one-fourth (1/4) in height and of durable marking material on the device.
(e) 
It is unlawful for any person to install a backflow prevention device without a plumbing permit.
(f) 
It is unlawful for any person to use, install, test, or maintain any backflow assembly that does not prohibit water flow upon removal.
(g) 
Should any consumer operate any system supplied by city water in violation of any provision of this article, the city may completely disconnect all service lines serving the system until it is in compliance with all applicable laws. The cost of disconnection and the estimated cost of reconnection shall be paid by the consumer before service is restored. If fire protection is being supplied by the noncompliant system, the city may provide necessary personnel to reconnect the system in case of an emergency. However, the owner is responsible for proper protection and liability in association with all cross-connection circumstances.
(h) 
The certified backflow tester shall electronically submit all information contained on the approved backflow assembly test report to the city within 10 calendar days of completing a backflow assembly test.
(i) 
Backflow testing fee: There shall be an annual nonrefundable registration fee for each backflow prevention assembly. The registration fee to be charged for a backflow prevention assembly shall be established in the city's consolidated fee schedule.
(Ordinance 8140, § 1, adopted 3/20/2003; Ordinance 2011-9287, § 1, adopted 9/22/2011; Ordinance 2020-10405, § 2, adopted 12/10/2020; Ordinance 2025-11144 adopted 8/28/2025; Ordinance 2025-11179 adopted 10/2/2025)