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Village of Scotia, NY
Schenectady County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[Adopted 11-14-2007 by L.L. No. 9-2007]
The purpose of this article is:
A. 
To protect the public potable water supply of the Village of Scotia 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
B. 
To comply with the requirements of the New York State Sanitary Code Section 5-1.31.
For the purpose of this article, unless it is plainly evident from the context that a different meaning is intended, certain terms used herein are defined as follows:
AIR GAP SEPARATION
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.
APPROVED CHECK VALVE
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 material which will seat 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.
APPROVED DOUBLE-CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY
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.
APPROVED REDUCED PRESSURE PRINCIPLE BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE
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.
APPROVED WATER SUPPLY
Any water supply approved by, or under the public health supervision of, a public health agency of the State of New York, County of Schenectady or the Village of Scotia. 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.
AUXILIARY WATER SUPPLY
Any water supply on or available to the premises other than the Village water supply.
CONSUMER
Any person to whom water is sold and furnished from the Village of Scotia.
CONTAMINATION
An impairment of the quality of the Village 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.
CROSS-CONNECTION
Any unprotected connection between any part of the 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.
NONTOXIC SUBSTANCE
Any substance of a nonpoisonous nature that may create a moderate or minor hazard to the water supply system.
PERSON
Any natural person, firm, association, organization, partnership, trust or association or persons, joint venture, corporation, or company, and includes the United States, the State of New York, the County of Schenectady, and any officer or agent thereof.
PREMISES
Integrated land area including improvements thereon undivided by public thoroughfares or water distribution mains of the Village of Scotia and where all parts of the premises are operated under the same management and for the same purpose.
PROTECTIVE DEVICE
Any of the following devices:
A. 
Air gap separation.
B. 
Approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device.
C. 
Approved double-check valve assembly.
SERVICE CONNECTION
The terminal end of a service connection from the Village water supply at its point of delivery to the consumer. If a meter is installed, "service connection" means the downstream 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.
SHALL
Is mandatory; "may" is permissive.
SUPERINTENDENT
Superintendent of Public Works of the Village of Scotia, or his or her authorized representative.
TOXIC SUBSTANCE
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.
VILLAGE
Village of Scotia.
VILLAGE WATER SUPPLY
Approved water supply sold and delivered to consumers' premises through the waterworks system of the Village of Scotia.
A. 
Auxiliary water supply. Each service connection from the Village water supply for furnishing water to premises having an auxiliary water supply shall be protected against backflow of water from the premises into the water supply.
(1) 
If the auxiliary water supply is handled in a separate piping system with no known cross-connection, the Village 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 Village water supply protected by an air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device installed at the service connection to the premises.
(2) 
If the auxiliary water supply is handled in a separate piping system and cross-connections are known to exist between the Village water supply and the auxiliary water supply which cannot presently be eliminated, the Village 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 Village 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 shall be required independent of a separate system handling the auxiliary water system. The Village shall also require a reduced-pressure-zone device if the facility were rated nonhazardous and the auxiliary water system did not meet the water quality requirements 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 Village water supply is handled in such a manner as to constitute a cross-connection, the Village water supply shall be protected by an approved double-check valve assembly.
A. 
Except as provided in Subsection A(3), 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; and
(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 of mailing of the notice. The Superintendent may grant the consumer an extension of an additional period not to exceed 90 days if he or she determines the consumer has exercised due diligence but has been unable to comply with the notice within the time originally allowed.
B. 
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, 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 consumer for water service in the records of the Village.
C. 
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 protective device have been abated or corrected to the satisfaction of the Superintendent.
For the purpose of making any inspections or discharging the duties imposed by this article, the Superintendent 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 Village water supply, shall be considered as having stated his consent to the entry upon his or her premises to the Superintendent 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 the inspection and maintenance requirements, be excluded from the requirements of these rules so long as the Superintendent is assured that they will satisfactorily protect the Village'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 prevention device meeting the requirements of this article.
A. 
Violations. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to construct, alter, repair, move, remove, demolish, equip, use, occupy or maintain any premises in violation of any provision of this article or to fail in any manner to comply with a notice, directive or order of the Superintendent of Public Works, the Village Building Inspector, or the designee of any one of the them, requiring compliance with this article.
B. 
Penalties. Any person, firm or corporation who shall fail to comply with a written order of the Superintendent of Public Works, the Village Building Inspector, or the designee of any one of them, within the time fixed for compliance therewith, and any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the applicable provisions of this article shall be guilty of a violation which shall be punishable by a fine of $500. Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.