The city council finds and declares that the purpose of this chapter is as follows:
A. 
To protect the public potable water supply of City of Roseville from the possibility of contamination or pollution by isolating within the customer's internal distribution system(s) or the customer's private water system(s) such contaminants or pollutants that could backflow into the public water system; and
B. 
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 systems, plumbing fixtures, and industrial piping systems; and
C. 
To ensure that the city can enforce its Cross Connection Control Plan, as may be amended from time to time.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
The following words are defined for purposes of this chapter as follows:
"Backflow prevention assembly"
means a mechanical assembly designed and constructed to prevent backflow, such that while in-line it can be maintained and its ability to prevent backflow, as designed, can be field tested, inspected and evaluated.
"Backflow prevention assembly tester"
means a person who is certified by the city to perform testing of backflow prevention assemblies owned by customers of the city and who has completed training and holds a current certification from the California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association. To maintain city certification, a backflow prevention assembly tester shall continually demonstrate competency in performing tests on backflow prevention devices to the director's or their designee's satisfaction.
"Backflow prevention inspection fund"
means that special interest-bearing fund established pursuant to Section 14.10.040.
"Cross-connection"
means any actual or potential connection or structural arrangement between the city's potable water system, including a piping system connected to the city's potable water system and located on the premises of a water user or available to the water user, and any source or distribution system containing liquid, gas, or other substances within a customer's premises and/or customer's water system which is not from an approved potable water supply. Bypass arrangements, jumper connections, removable sections, swivel and changeover devices, or other devices through which backflow or back-siphonage could occur, shall be considered to be cross-connections.
"Cross-Connection Control Plan"
means the plan to provide guidance on the City of Roseville's expectations for cross-connection control and backflow prevention, as required by state law. The Cross-Connection Control Plan may be amended from time to time.
"Customer"
means any water user, property owner with water infrastructure, or utility account holder and can be used interchangeably with water user.
"Department"
means the department of environmental utilities.
"Director"
means the director of the department.
"Hazard assessment"
means an evaluation of a user premises designed to evaluate the types and degrees of hazard at a customer's premises.
"Reinspection fee"
means the fee required to be paid upon a finding by an inspector that a backflow prevention assembly is defective or not in compliance with the standards set forth in this chapter and requires retest after repair, replacement, or water shut-off.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 6500 § 12, 2022; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
A. 
No water service connection to any premises shall be installed unless the water supply is protected as required by this chapter. Newly installed backflow prevention assemblies must receive passing field tests in accordance with the Cross-Connection Control Plan in order for the city to provide continuous water service.
B. 
In the case of premises having an auxiliary water supply that is not or may not be of safe bacteriological or chemical quality and that is not acceptable to the director or designee as an additional source, the property owner shall protect the public water system against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line.
C. 
Rights of Access.
1. 
The city or city's authorized agents shall have right of access to the customer's premises, at all reasonable hours for any purpose related to ensuring backflow prevention and cross-connection control including, but not limited to, hazard assessments, backflow incident response, backflow preventer inspections, and repairs.
2. 
Service may be refused or disconnected, and/or the customer may be required to install the highest form of backflow protection if: (a) permanent safe accessibility is not provided by the customer; or (b) the customer does not furnish information or access required for the City to complete a hazard assessment.
3. 
Upon termination of service, the city shall have the right of access to the meter box to discontinue water service.
D. 
The city may inspect the premises of new or existing customers to determine if, in the opinion of the director or designee, such premises may require a backflow prevention assembly. In the case of premises having either: (1) internal cross connections that cannot be permanently corrected and controlled; (2) intricate plumbing and piping arrangements where entry to all portions of the premises is not readily accessible for inspection purposes; or (3) a condition that in the opinion of the director or designee constitutes a hazard to health, the property owner shall protect the public water system against backflow from the premises by installing an approved backflow prevention assembly in the service line.
E. 
Failure of a customer or property owner to provide for the installation or the upgrading of a required backflow prevention assembly, as specified in subsections B and D of this section, within 30 days following written notification from the city, and for the preservation of the health and safety of the public water supply, the city may temporarily shut off potable water service to the premises and/or customer's system until the customer has installed or upgraded, and tested, an approved assembly to the satisfaction of the director or designee.
F. 
Any backflow prevention assembly installed or upgraded on a customer's premises shall be and remain the property of the customer.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 6500 § 13, 2022; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
The finance director is hereby directed to establish a special interest-bearing fund entitled the backflow prevention inspection fund. The owner of property served by the city shall be charged with and shall be responsible for inspection and service fees related to ensuring proper operation of backflow prevention assemblies connected to the water distribution system. All fees collected pursuant to this chapter shall be deposited in the backflow prevention inspection fund and expended solely to finance the program set forth in this chapter.
This fee is allowed under the California State Health and Safety Code, Division 104, Part 12, Article 2, Chapter 5, Section 116805 (d), as may be amended from time to time, that allows water utilities implementing the backflow prevention program to recover their costs to administer the program.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 6500 § 14, 2022; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
A. 
Backflow prevention assemblies may be installed either by the customer or by city personnel.
B. 
Backflow prevention assemblies type and installation shall be in compliance with city improvement standards.
C. 
Backflow prevention assemblies must be of a type approved by the University of Southern California Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research and must comply with the State of California Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook, as may be amended from time to time. Where there is a conflict between the city improvement standards, University of Southern California Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research approved list, and the Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook, the more restrictive shall apply.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
A. 
No backflow prevention assembly shall be disconnected, moved, or modified without notification to and approval by the city. Any change to an existing backflow prevention assembly requires a new inspection and testing report to be submitted to the city.
B. 
After installation of a backflow prevention assembly, a backflow prevention assembly tester shall inspect and test the backflow prevention assembly.
C. 
Each backflow prevention assembly shall be inspected and tested at least once annually by a backflow prevention assembly tester.
D. 
Where city personnel or city-authorized personnel are required to perform an inspection or test, an inspection fee shall be charged to the customer as established by Section 14.10.040.
E. 
If a backflow prevention assembly does not meet required standards established by this chapter, city will send the customer a notice of compliance.
F. 
Any change of ownership, premise use (excluding single family residences), new connection to the water system, change of activities or materials on a water user's premises, or backflow incident will trigger a new hazard assessment.
G. 
The customer's system should be open for inspection at all reasonable times to authorized representatives of the City of Roseville water utility to determine whether cross connections or other structural or sanitary hazards, including violations of these regulations, exist.
H. 
The city may terminate the customer's potable water service if the customer fails to have a backflow prevention device inspected and tested within the time period required by the city pursuant to Section 14.10.030.E.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 6500 § 15, 2022; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
A. 
It is the responsibility of the property owner to install freeze protection. If the backflow assembly cannot be inspected due to the presence of freeze protection material, the freeze protection may be removed. The city shall not be responsible for reinstallation of freeze protection.
B. 
The relief port at the bottom of a reduced pressure backflow assembly must not be covered over by freeze protection. All test ports must be easily accessible along with the serial number and model number.
C. 
Freeze protection shall be maintained in a neat, aesthetically pleasing condition. Torn or dislodged freeze protection may be removed by city.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
A. 
If the backflow prevention assembly tester determines that the backflow prevention assembly does not meet the standards established by this chapter, the city will issue the customer a notice to correct. The customer shall make the necessary repairs or replacement within 30 days of issuance of the notice to correct.
B. 
The backflow prevention assembly shall be reinspected by a backflow prevention assembly tester within 30 days, at which time a reinspection fee shall be charged to the customer as established by resolution adopted by the city council, as amended from time to time.
C. 
Each time a reinspection is required, an additional reinspection fee will be charged to the customer, until such time that the city sends the customer a notice of compliance.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 5800 § 35, 2017; Ord. 6500 § 16, 2022; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
A. 
The city may require a customer to designate an on-site supervisor ('user supervisor") when the customer's premises has a multi-piping system that conveys various types of fluids and where changes in the piping system are frequently made. The user supervisor will be responsible for the avoidance of cross-connections during the installation, operation and maintenance of the customer's pipelines and equipment.
B. 
The user supervisor must be certified as a cross-connection control specialist and be trained on the potential hazards, fluids used, potential concerns, and required backflow protection for the customer's premises.
C. 
The user supervisor must have the authority to carry out the city's requirements for protection of the water distribution system.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 5800 § 36, 2017; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
A. 
Installation, repair or replacement of a backflow prevention assembly shall be performed by a licensed contractor or, with customer approval, by city personnel.
B. 
The cost to the city for materials and labor at the prevailing rate shall be paid by the owner or customer and if unpaid shall become a lien on the property and collectible as taxes.
C. 
Any backflow prevention assembly installed or upgraded on a customer's premises shall be and remain the property of the customer.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
A. 
Failure to maintain a backflow prevention assembly or provide access and information for assessing potential cross-connection hazards as required by this chapter and the Cross-Connection Control Plan shall be a violation.
B. 
If the director or designee determines that a customer's failure to install, adequately maintain, or otherwise finds evidence that an installed backflow prevention assembly has been bypassed or rendered ineffective and constitutes a threat to the potable water supply, the director may order that water services to the noncomplying customer be discontinued. The director shall notify the customer at least 25 days prior to the proposed determination of service; provided, however, that if the threat to the potable water supply is so immediate that a delay in terminating water service may threaten the public health and safety, the director may terminate service without prior written notice.
C. 
A customer who has received a notice of termination of water services from the director may appeal the decision in writing to the environmental utilities director. The appeal must be received by the environmental utilities director within 10 calendar days from the date of the compliance order, in which case the termination of services will not occur until after the appeal is heard.
D. 
Any user and/or person that violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a separate offense for each and every day during which any portion of which any such user and/or person commits, continues, permits, or causes a violation thereof, and shall be punished accordingly.
E. 
If after 30 days the customer has not installed a newly required backflow prevention assembly or has not repaired or replaced a defective backflow prevention assembly, and this failure to act constitutes an immediate threat to the health, safety or well-being of the public or environment, the director is authorized to require immediate abatement. If any such violation is not abated immediately as directed by the director, the city or the city's authorized agent is authorized to enter onto private property and to take any and all measures required to abate the violation.
1. 
It is unlawful for any person, owner, agent or person in possession of any premises to refuse to allow the city or its contracting agents to enter upon the premises for the purpose of abating the violation.
2. 
The cost of any such abatement by city agents authorized herein shall be borne by the property owner and/or responsible party, which cost shall include administrative costs as well as the actual cost of abatement. These costs may be enforced as a personal obligation against the property owner and shall be invoiced to the property owner and/or responsible party. If the invoice is not paid within 60 days, the city shall have the authority to place a lien upon and against the property. Any relief under this section shall not prevent the city from seeking other and further relief authorized under this chapter.
3. 
Nothing contained in this chapter shall be deemed to impose any liability on the city, its officers, employees, nor to relieve the owner of any private property from their responsibility to maintain backflow prevention assemblies as required by the city. The city assumes no risk associated with taking action to abate the violation.
F. 
Within 60 calendar days after the city's abatement of the violation, the director, or designee, will notify the owner of the property of the cost of abatement. The property owner and/or responsible party may file a written protest objecting to the amount of the abatement assessment within 10 calendar days after the city's issuance of the notice. The director, as applicable, shall conduct a hearing on the appeal within 30 calendar days from the date of receipt of the notice of the appeal. Appellant may appear at the hearing in person or may submit a written statement signed under penalty of perjury in lieu of a hearing. Following the hearing, the director shall make written findings of fact as to whether the abatement was proper. The director's decision shall be final.
G. 
Any decision of the director's hearing panel shall be final. Any person aggrieved by an order of the hearing panel may obtain review of the order in the superior court by filing with the court a petition for writ of mandate within 90 days pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.6.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 6500 § 17, 2022; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)
If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions of this chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provisions or its application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are severable.
(Ord. 2646 § 1, 1992; Ord. 7027, 1/21/2026)