The purposes of this article are:
A. To protect the public potable water supply served
by the Town from the possibility of contamination of pollution by
isolating, within its customers internal distribution system, such
contaminants or pollutants which could backflow or back-siphon into
the public water system.
B. To promote the elimination or control of existing
cross-connections, actual or potential, between its customers in-plant
potable water system, and nonpotable systems.
C. To provide for the maintenance of a continuing program
of cross-connection control which will effectively prevent the contamination
of all potable water systems by cross-connection.
The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974
stipulates that the water purveyor has the primary responsibility
for preventing water from unapproved sources, or any other substances,
from entering the public potable water system.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
AUXILIARY WATER SUPPLY
Any water supply on or available to the premises other than
the purveyor's approved public potable water supply.
BACKFLOW
The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances,
under positive or reduced pressure in the distribution pipes of a
potable water supply from any source other than its intended source.
BACKFLOW PREVENTER
A device or means designed to prevent backflow or back-siphonage,
most commonly categorized as air gap, reduced pressure principle device,
double check valve assembly, pressure vacuum breaker, atmospheric
vacuum breaker, hose bibb vacuum breaker, residential dual check,
double check with intermediate atmospheric vent, and barometric loop.
A.
AIR GAPA physical separation sufficient to prevent backflow between the free-flowing discharge end of the potable water system and any other system, physically defined as a distance equal to twice the diameter of the supply side pipe diameter but never less than one inch.
B.
ATMOSPHERIC VACUUM BREAKERA device which prevents back-siphonage by creating an atmospheric vent when there is either a negative pressure or subatmospheric pressure in a water system.
C.
BAROMETRIC LOOPA fabricated piping arrangement rising at least 35 feet at its topmost point above the highest fixture it supplies. It is utilized in water supply systems to protect against back-siphonage.
D.
DOUBLE CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLYAn assembly of two independently operating spring-loaded check valves with tightly closing shutoff valves on each side of the check valves, plus properly located test cocks for the testing of each check valve.
G.
PRESSURE VACUUM BREAKERA device containing one or two independently operated spring-loaded check valves and an independently operated spring-loaded air inlet valve located on the discharge side of the check or checks. Device includes tightly closing shutoff valves on each side of the check valves and properly located test cocks for the testing of the check valve(s).
H.
REDUCED PRESSURE PRINCIPLE BACKFLOW PREVENTERAn assembly consisting of two independently operating check valves with an automatically operating differential relief valve located between the two check valves, tightly closing shutoff valves on each side of the check valves plus properly located test cocks for the testing of the check valves and the relief valve.
I.
RESIDENTIAL DUAL CHECKAn assembly of two spring-loaded, independently operating check valves without tightly closing shutoff valves and test cocks. Generally employed immediately downstream of the water meter to act as a containment device.
BACKPRESSURE
A condition in which the owners system pressure is greater
than the suppliers system pressure.
BACK-SIPHONAGE
The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances
into the distribution pipes of a potable water supply system from
any source other than its intended source caused by the sudden reduction
of pressure in the potable water supply system.
CONTAINMENT
A method of backflow prevention which requires a backflow
prevention preventer at the water service entrance.
CONTAMINANT
A substance that will impair the quality of the water to
a degree that it creates a serious health hazard to the public leading
to poisoning or the spread of disease.
CROSS-CONNECTION
Any actual or potential connection between the public water
supply and a source of contamination or pollution.
FIXTURE ISOLATION
A method of backflow prevention in which a backflow preventer
is located to correct a cross connection at an in-plant location rather
than at a water service entrance.
OWNER
Any person who has legal title to, or license to operate
or habitat in, a property upon which a cross-connection inspection
is to be made or upon which a cross-connection is present.
POLLUTANT
A foreign substance, that if permitted to get into the public
water system, will degrade its quality so as to constitute a moderate
hazard, or impair the usefulness or quality of the water to a degree
which does not create an actual hazard to the public health but which
does adversely and unreasonably effect such water for domestic use.
WATER SERVICE ENTRANCE
That point in the owner's water system beyond the sanitary
control of the Town, generally considered to be the outlet end of
the water meter and always before any unprotected branch.
The Town shall not permit a cross-connection
within the public water supply system unless it is considered necessary
and that it cannot be eliminated.
A. Cross-connection permits that are required for each
backflow prevention device are obtained from the Town. A fee of $75
will be changed for the initial permit and $50 for the renewal of
each permit.
B. Town permits shall be renewed every one year and are
nontransferable. Permits are subject to revocation and become immediately
revoked if the owner should so change the type of cross-connection
or degree of hazard associated with the service.
C. A permit is not required when fixture isolation is
achieved with the utilization of a nontestable backflow preventer.
Any existing backflow preventer shall be allowed
by the Town to continue in service unless the degree of hazard is
such as to supersede the effectiveness of the present backflow preventer,
or result in an unreasonable risk to the public health. Where the
degree of hazard has increased, as in the case of a residential installation
converting to a business establishment, any existing backflow preventer
must be upgraded to a reduced pressure principle device, or a reduced
pressure principle device must be installed in the event that no backflow
device was present.
The Town will publish a list of fees or charges
for the following services or permits:
The Town strongly recommends that all new retrofit
installations of reduced pressure principle devices and double check
valve backflow preventers include the installation of strainers located
immediately upstream of the backflow device. The installation of strainers
will preclude the fouling of backflow devices due to both foreseen
and unforeseen circumstances occurring to the water supply system
such as water main repairs, water main breaks, fires, periodic cleaning
and flushing of mains, etc. These occurrences may "stir up" debris
within the water main that will cause fouling of backflow devices
installed without the benefit of strainers.