[Adopted 7-7-1981]
The purpose of this article is to protect the public potable water supply
of the City of Amsterdam from the possibility of contamination by isolating
within its customer's internal distribution system or its customer's
private water system such contaminations or pollutants which could backflow
into the public water supply system; and to comply with the requirements of
the New York State Sanitary Code 5-1.31.
A.
AIR GAP SEPARATION
APPROVED CHECK VALVE
APPROVED DOUBLE CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY
APPROVED REDUCED PRESSURE PRINCIPAL BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE
APPROVED WATER SUPPLY
AUXILIARY WATER SUPPLY
CITY
CITY WATER SUPPLY
CONSUMER
CONTAMINATION
COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER
CROSS CONNECTION
NONTOXIC SUBSTANCE
PERSON
PREMISES
PROTECTIVE DEVICE
SERVICE CONNECTION
SUPERINTENDENT
TOXIC SUBSTANCE
Unless it is plainly evident from the context that a
different meaning is intended, certain terms used herein are defined as follows:
A physical break between a supply pipe and a receiving vessel. The
air gap shall be at least double the diameter of the supply pipe, measured
vertically above the top rim of the vessel and in no case less than one inch.
A check valve that seats readily and completely. It must be carefully
machined to have free-moving parts and assured watertightness. The face of
the closure element and valve seat must be bronze composition or other noncorrodible
materials which will seal tightly under all prevailing conditions of field
use. Pins and bushings shall be bronze or other noncorrodible, nonsticking
material, machined for easy, dependable operation. The closure element (e.g.,
clapper) shall be internally weighted or otherwise internally equipped to
promote rapid and positive closure in all sizes where this feature is obtainable.
An assembly of at least two independently acting approved check valves,
including tightly closing shutoff valves on each side of the check valve assembly
and suitable test cocks plus connections available for testing the watertightness
of each check valve.
A device incorporating two or more check valves and an automatically
operating differential relief valve located between the two checks, two shutoff
valves and equipped with necessary appurtenances for testing. The device shall
operate to maintain the pressure in the zone between the two check valves
less than the pressure on the public water supply side of the device. At cessation
of normal flow the pressure between the check valves shall be less than the
supply pressure. In case of leakage of either valve, the differential relief
valve shall operate to maintain this reduced pressure by discharging to the
atmosphere. To be approved, these devices must be readily accessible for maintenance
and testing and installed in a location where no part of the device will be
submerged.
Any water supply approved by or under the public health supervision
of a public health agency of the State of New York or the City of Amsterdam.
In determining what constitutes an approved water supply, the Department of
Public Health of the State of New York (herein called "State Health Department")
shall have the final judgment as to its safety and potability.
Any water supply on or available to the premises other than the city
water supply.
The City of Amsterdam.
An approved water supply sold and delivered to consumer's premises
through the waterworks system of the City of Amsterdam.
Any person to whom water is sold and furnished from the City of Amsterdam.
An impairment of the quality of the city water supply by the presence
of any foreign substance (organic, inorganic, radiological or biological)
to a degree which creates a hazard to the public health.
The Montgomery County Health Officer, his assistants or authorized
deputies acting as or any other person appointed as Health Officer of the
County of Montgomery.
Any unprotected connection between any part of the city waterworks
system used or intended to supply water for drinking purposes and any source
or system containing water or substance that is not or cannot be approved
as safe, wholesome and potable for human consumption.
Any substance of a nonpoisonous nature that may create a moderate
or minor hazard to the water supply system.
Any natural person, firm, association, organization, partnership,
trust or association of persons, joint venture, corporation or company and
includes the United States, the State of New York, the County of Montgomery,
Special Purpose District and any officer or agent thereof.
Integrated land area, including improvements thereon, undivided by
public thoroughfares or water distribution mains of the City of Amsterdam
and where all parts of the premises are operated under the same management
and for the same purpose.
Any of the following devices:
The terminal end of a service connection from the city water supply
at its point of delivery to the consumer. If a meter is installed, "service
connection" means the downstreet end of the meter. No unprotected takeoffs
from the service line ahead of any meter or backflow protective device located
at the point of delivery to the consumer shall be permitted.
The water manager or any other authorized representative determined
by the Water Commissioners of the City of Amsterdam.
Any substance (liquid, solid or gaseous), including raw sewage and
lethal substances, that when introduced into the water supply system creates
or may create a danger to the health and well being of the consumer.
B.
"Shall" is mandatory; "may" is permissive.
A.
Auxiliary water supply. Each service connection from
the city water supply for furnishing water to premises having an auxiliary
water supply shall be protected against backflow of water from the premises
into the city water supply.
(1)
If the auxiliary water supply is handled in a separate
piping system with no known cross connection, the city water supply shall
be protected by an approved double check valve assembly installed at the service
connection to the premises. When the auxiliary water supply may be contaminated,
the Superintendent may order the city water supply protected by an air gap
separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device
installed at the service connection.
(2)
If the auxiliary water supply is handled in a separate
piping system and cross connections are known to exist between the city water
supply and the auxiliary water supply which cannot presently be eliminated,
the city water supply shall be protected by an approved reduced pressure principle
flow prevention device installed at the service connection to the premises.
When the auxiliary supply may be contaminated, the Superintendent may order
the city water supply protected by an air gap separation installed at the
service connection.
B.
Toxic or hazardous substances. Should a facility be rated
hazardous, a reduced pressure zone device would be required independent of
a separate system handling the auxiliary water system. A reduced pressure
zone device would also be required if the facility were rated nonhazardous
and the auxiliary water system did not meet the water quality requirements
of Part 5 of the Sanitary Code.
C.
Nonhazardous substances. At the service connection to
any premises on which a substance that would be objectionable (but not necessarily
hazardous to health) if introduced into the city water supply is handled in
such a manner as to constitute a cross connection, the city water supply shall
be protected by an approved double check valve assembly.
D.
Nonhazardous to hazardous. In the event that a facility
is rated nonhazardous and on such a date becomes hazardous, notification of
at least 30 days shall be given to the Superintendent before the change takes
place. Protection by the use of a protective device as required on hazardous
substances must be installed.
E.
Sewage treatment plant and pumping stations. At the service
connection to any sewage treatment plant or sewage pumping station, the city
water supply shall be protected by an air gap separation. The air gap shall
be located as close as practicable to the service connection, and all piping
between the service connection and receiving tank shall be entirely visible.
If these conditions cannot be reasonably met, the city water supply shall
be protected with an approved reduced pressure principal backflow prevention
device, provided that this alternative is acceptable to both the Superintendent
and the County Health Officer. A final decision in this matter shall be made
by the State Health Department.
F.
Fire system. At the service connection to any premises
in which a fire protection system is installed, the city water supply shall
be protected based on the water source and arrangement of supplies in accordance
with the following classifications:
(1)
Class 1. Direct connection from public water mains only;
no pumps, tanks or reservoirs; no physical connections from auxiliary water
supplies; no antifreeze or other additives of any kind; all sprinkler drains
discharging to atmosphere, dry wells or other safe outlets. Protection: single
check valve assembly if not already installed in the system.
(2)
Class 2. The same as Class 1, except booster pumps may
be installed in the connection from the street mains. Protection: single check
valve assembly if not already installed in the system.
(3)
Class 3. Direct connection from public water supply main
plus one or more of the following: elevated storage tanks; fire pumps taking
suction from aboveground covered reservoirs or tanks; and pressure tanks.
Protection: double check valve assembly.
(4)
Class 4. Directly supplied from public mains similar
to Classes 1 and 2 and with an auxiliary water supply on or available to the
premises; or an auxiliary supply may be located within 1,700 feet of the pumper
connection. Protection: air gap or reduced pressure principle backflow prevention
device.
(5)
Class 5. Directly supplied from public mains and interconnected
with auxiliary supplies, such as pumps taking suction from reservoirs exposed
to contamination or rivers and ponds; driven wells; mills or other industrial
water systems; or when antifreeze or other industrial water systems or where
antifreeze or other additives are used. Protection: air gap or reduced pressure
principle backflow prevention device.
(6)
Class 6. Combined industrial and fire protection systems
supplied from the public water mains only, with or without gravity storage
or pump suction tanks. Protection: determined by the Superintendent upon review
of engineering drawings of the system.
G.
Lawn sprinkling systems. At the service connection to
any permanently installed lawn sprinkling system, the city water supply shall
be protected by an approved double check valve assembly. If the lawn sprinkling
system handles liquid fertilizers or other chemicals, the city water supply
shall be protected by an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention
device.
A.
Consumer responsibility. It shall be the responsibility
of each consumer, at his own expense, to furnish, install and keep in good
working order and safe condition any and all protective devices required.
The city shall not be responsible for any loss or damage directly or indirectly
resulting from or caused by the improper or negligent installation, operation,
use, repair or maintenance of or interfering with any protective device by
any consumer or any other person.
B.
Conflicts. Whenever two or more conditions exist on any
premises for the correction of which different protection devices are required
in this article, the consumer shall be required only to install the protective
device which, in the opinion of the Water Department, authorized representative
or manager and County Health Officer, affords the maximum protection to the
city water supply.
The consumer on whose premises any protective device is installed shall
have each such device inspected annually. If successive inspections disclose
repeated failures in the operation of any device, the Superintendent may require
more frequent inspections. Each device shall be repaired, overhauled or replaced
at the expense of the consumer whenever it is found to be defective. Records
of such tests, repairs and overhauls shall be kept and a copy of such records
forwarded to the Superintendent on an annual basis. The Superintendent shall
have the duty of determining that the inspections required herein are performed
properly. If, following demand therefor, the consumer fails to have any of
the inspections made as required herein or to make the above described records
available, the Superintendent shall have the right to inspect the device,
and the consumer shall pay the cost thereof.
A.
No water service connection shall be installed on the
premises of any consumer unless the city water supply is protected as required
by this article.
B.
Delivery of water to the premises of any consumer may
be discontinued by the Superintendent if any protection device required by
this article has not been installed, inspected, tested and maintained or is
defective or has been removed or bypassed.
C.
Immediate discontinuance of delivery.
(1)
Delivery of water shall be discontinued immediately and
without notice to the consumer if the Superintendent or County Health Officer
determines that:
(2)
Delivery of water shall not be resumed until any protective
device required by this article and approved by the Superintendent has been
properly installed or until conditions at the consumer's premises causing
the contamination or danger of contamination have been abated or corrected
to the satisfaction of the Superintendent and County Health Officer.
D.
Except as provided in Subsection C, delivery of water shall not be discontinued until written notice thereof has been given to the consumer. The notice shall state:
(1)
The conditions or defects which must be corrected.
(2)
The manner in which the stated conditions or defects
are to be corrected.
(3)
The date on or after which delivery of water will be
discontinued and which shall not be less than 15 nor more than 90 days following
the date of delivery or mailing of the notice. The Superintendent may grant
the consumer an extension of an additional period not to exceed 90 days if
he determines that the consumer has exercised due diligence but has been unable
to comply with the notice within the time originally allowed. The notice shall
be given by delivering the same to the consumer, the manager or agent thereof
or to any person in charge of or employed in the place of business of the
consumer; or, if the consumer has no place of business, then at the place
of residence of the consumer, if known, or by leaving the notice at either
the place of business or the residence of the consumer. If the consumer cannot
be found and service of the notice shall be mailed, postage fully prepaid,
addressed to the consumer at the place of business or residence set forth
in the application of the consumer for water service in the records of the
city. Once discontinued, delivery of water shall not be resumed until any
protection device required by this article and approved by the Superintendent
has been properly installed or until the conditions at the consumer's
premises creating the need for a protection device have been abated or corrected
to the satisfaction of the Superintendent and the County Health Officer.
E.
For the purpose of making any inspections or discharging
the duties imposed by this article, the Superintendent and County Health Officer
shall have the right to enter upon the premises of any consumer. Each consumer,
as a condition of the continued delivery to his premises of water from the
city water supply, shall be considered as having stated his consent to the
entry upon his premises of the Superintendent and County Health Officer for
the purposes stated herein.
All presently installed prevention devices which do not meet the requirements of this article but were approved devices for the purposes described herein at the time of installation and which have been properly maintained shall, except for inspection and maintenance requirements under § 239-18, be excluded from the requirements of these rules so long as the Superintendent is assured that they will satisfactorily protect the city's water supply. Whenever the existing device is moved from the present location or requires more than minimum maintenance which constitutes a hazard to health, the unit shall be replaced by a backflow preventing device meeting the requirements of this article.
