§ 122-121. Cross-connection control and backflow prevention.

(a)

Purpose and intent. The purpose of this section is to protect the county's public potable water supply from actual or possible contamination or pollution by isolating within the customer's internal distribution system or the customer's private water system such contaminants or pollutants which could backflow into the public water system. This section also provides for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control with the goal of systematically and effectively preventing contamination or pollution of the county's water system by containment.

(b)

Definitions. In this section:

(1)

Air-gap means the unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet supplying water to a tank, plumbing fixture, or other device and the flood level (overflow) rim of such vessel. An approved air-gap shall be at least double the diameter of the supply pipe, measured vertically, above the top of the overflow rim of the vessel; and in no case less than one inch.

(2)

Approved means accepted by the director as meeting applicable specifications stated or cited in this section or as the director, in his or her discretion, finds suitable for the proposed use.

(3)

Approved backflow prevention device means a device that has been manufactured in full conformance with the standards established by the American Water Works Association entitled "AWWA C506-78 Standards for Reduced Pressure Principle and Double Check Valve Backflow Prevention Devices," and has met completely the laboratory and field performance specifications of the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research of the University of Southern California established by the publication "Specifications of Backflow Prevention Devices-#69-2" dated March, 1969 or the most current issue thereof. Any device where approval is required by the fire marshal's office shall be listed for fire protection use as required by the National Fire Protection Association Codes, as may be amended from time to time.

(4)

Approved tester means a person holding a currently valid certification recognized by the state environmental protection division.

(5)

Auxiliary water supply means any water supply on or available to the premises other than the county's approved public water supply. These auxiliary waters include, but are not limited to, water from another purveyor's public potable water supply or any natural source such as a well, spring, river, stream, harbor, etc., or used waters or industrial fluids. These auxiliary waters may be contaminated, polluted or constitute an unacceptable water source over which the county does not have sanitary control.

(6)

Backflow means the reversal of the normal flow of water caused by either back-pressure or back-siphonage.

(7)

Backflow preventer or backflow prevention device means a device, process or means designed to prevent backflow.

(8)

Back pressure means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances under pressure into the distribution pipes of a potable water supply system from any source or sources other than the intended source.

(9)

Back-siphonage means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances into the distribution system, as 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.

(10)

Check valve means a valve that is drip-tight in the normal direction of flow when the inlet pressure is at least one psi (pound per square inch) and the outlet pressure is zero, permitting no leakage in a reverse direction to the normal flow. The closure element of the valve is internally loaded to promote rapid, positive closure. Comprises only one component of a backflow prevention assembly.

(11)

County means Cobb County and/or the Cobb County Water System.

(12)

Contamination means any impairment of the quality of the county's potable water by the introduction or admission of any foreign substance, including but not limited to sewage, industrial fluids or waste liquids, compounds or other materials, to a degree which degrades the quality of the potable water and creates an actual or potential hazard to the public health through poisoning or through the spread of disease.

(13)

Cross-connection means any actual or potential physical connection or arrangement of piping or fixtures between two otherwise separate piping systems, one of which contains potable water and the other nonpotable water or industrial fluids of questionable safety, through which, or because of which, backflow may occur into the potable water system. Alternatively, it is a connection or potential connection between any part of a potable water system and any other environment containing other substances in a manner that might allow such substances (such as gasses, liquids, or solids) to enter the potable water system and to affect the water's taste, color or odor. This term includes, but is not limited to, any temporary connections, such as swing connections, removable sections, four-way plug valves, spools, dummy sections of pipe, swivel or changeover devices or sliding multiport tubes.

(14)

Cross-connections, controlled means a cross-connection that has an approved backflow prevention device properly installed and maintained so that it will continuously afford protection commensurate with the degree of hazard.

(15)

Cross-connection control by containment means any of the following:

a.

At service connection: The installation of one approved backflow prevention device at the water service connection to any customer's premises where it is physically and economically infeasible to find and permanently eliminate or control any or all actual or potential cross-connections within the customer's water system.

b.

After service connection: The installation of an approved backflow prevention device on the service line leading to and supplying all or a portion of a customer's water system where there are actual or potential cross-connections within the customer's premises which cannot be effectively eliminated or controlled at the point of the cross-connection.

(16)

Customer. Any owner of premises receiving county water system service or any end-user thereof, including any and all persons, natural or artificial, including any individual firm, association or trust and any municipal or private corporation organized or existing under the laws of this or any other state or country.

(17)

Department means the Cobb County Water System.

(18)

Director means the director of the department who is vested with the authority and responsibility for the implementation of an effective cross-connection control program and for the enforcement of the provisions of this section.

(19)

Double check valve assembly means an assembly of two independently operating approved check valves with tightly closing shutoff valves on each end of the check valves, plus properly located test cocks for the testing of each check valve. The entire assembly shall meet the design and performance specifications as determined by a laboratory and field evaluation program resulting in current approval of a recognized and approved testing agency for backflow prevention assemblies. To be approved, these devices must be readily accessible for inline testing and maintenance.

(20)

Hazard, degree of is a term evaluating the potential risk to public health based on available information and categorization of potential sources of contamination or pollution and the adverse effect of the contamination or pollution upon the potable water system.

(21)

Hazard, health means any condition, device, or practice affecting the water supply system and its operation which creates or could create, or in the judgment of the director, may create a present or future danger to the health and well-being of the water consumer or the county's potable water supply.

(22)

Hazard, pollution means an actual or potential threat to the physical properties of the water system or to the potability of the public or the consumer's potable water system but which would constitute a nuisance or be aesthetically objectionable as to taste, odor or color or could cause damage to the system or its appurtenances, but would not necessarily be dangerous to the health of the water consumer.

(23)

Hazard, system means an actual or potential threat of severe damage to the physical properties of the public potable water system or the consumer's potable water system.

(24)

Industrial fluids system means any system containing a fluid or solution which would constitute a health, system or pollution hazard if introduced into an approved water supply. This may include, but not be limited to: Polluted or contaminated waters; process waters and "used waters" originating from the public potable water system which may have deteriorated in sanitary quality; chemicals in fluid form; plating acids and alkalies, circulating cooling waters connected to an open cooling tower and/or cooling towers that are chemically or biologically treated or stabilized with toxic substances; oils, gases, glycerin, paraffins, caustic and acid solutions and other liquid and gaseous fluids used in industrial or other purposes or for firefighting purposes; or contaminated natural waters emanating from wells, springs, streams, rivers, bays, harbors, seas, irrigation canals or systems.

(25)

Pollution or polluted means the presence of any foreign substance (organic, inorganic, or biological) in water which tends to degrade the water's quality so as to constitute a hazard or to 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 affect such water's domestic use.

(26)

Reduced pressure principle device means an assembly of two independently-acting, approved check valves together with a hydraulically operating, mechanically independent pressure relief valve located between the check valves and at the same time below the first check valve. The unit shall include properly located test cocks and tightly closing shutoff valves at each end of the assembly. The entire assembly shall meet the design and performance specifications as determined by a laboratory and a field evaluation program resulting in current approval by a recognized and approved testing agency for backflow prevention assemblies. The assembly shall operate to maintain the pressure in the zone between the two check valves at an acceptable level less than the pressure on the public water supply side of the device. At cessation of normal flow the pressure between the two check valves shall be less than the pressure on the public water supply side of the device. In the event that either of the check valves leak, the differential relief valve shall operate to maintain the reduced pressure in the zone between the check valves by discharging to the atmosphere. When the inlet pressure is two pounds per square inch or less, the relief valve shall open to the atmosphere. To be approved, these devices must be readily accessible for in-line testing and maintenance and be installed in a location where no part of the device will be submerged.

(27)

Water, nonpotable means water which is not safe for human consumption or which is of questionable potability.

(28)

Water, potable means any water which, according to recognized standards, is safe for human consumption.

(29)

Water purveyor means a supplier of water, including property owners supplying water for their own use.

(30)

Water service connection means the terminal end of a service connection from the public potable water system (i.e., where the water purveyor loses jurisdiction and sanitary control over the water at its point of delivery to the customer's water system). If a meter is installed at the end of the service connection, then the service connection shall mean the downstream end of the meter. "Service connection" shall also include water service connection from a fire hydrant and all other temporary or emergency water service connections from the public potable water system.

(31)

Water system means the county water system and the customer's water system, where not specifically limited as such. The department system shall consist of the source facilities and the distribution system and shall include all those facilities of the water system under the complete control of the department, up to the point where the customer's system begins (at and including the water meter and any required backflow prevention devices used in conjunction therewith). The source facilities shall include all components of the facilities used in the production, treatment, storage, and delivery of water to the distribution system. The distribution system shall include the network of conduits used for the delivery of water from the source to the customer's system. The customer's system shall include those parts of the facilities beyond the termination of the department's distribution system which are used in conveying department-delivered domestic water to points of use.

(32)

Water, used means any water supplied by a water purveyor from a public potable water system to a consumer's water system after it has passed through the point of delivery and is no longer under the sanitary control of the water purveyor.

See also definitions and rules of construction generally, section 1-2 of this Code; Georgia Rules for Safe Drinking Water, § 391-3-5-.13(4); Manual of Cross-Connection Control, 9th ed., University of Southern California, 1993; Recommended Practice for Backflow Prevention and Cross Connection Control, American Water Works Association Manual of Water Supply Practices, Manual 14, 2nd Ed., 1990; Cross-Connection Control Manual, United States Environmental Protection Agency, June 1989.

(c)

Duties.

(1)

Department. The director shall be primarily 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 public potable water service connection. Where appropriate, the department shall coordinate with other county departments, such as building inspections, the fire department and the county board of health, to promulgate and enforce laws, rules, regulations and policies to be followed in controlling cross-connections.

a.

Program implementation and execution. The department shall initiate a backflow prevention program and emergency plan designed to ensure that customers install, test and maintain approved backflow prevention devices where needed to protect the public water supply from potential and actual hazardous sources of cross-connection. The department shall list, categorize, and prioritize for assessment potential sources of contamination or pollution by the degree of hazard they present to the public water supply. The department shall assess a customer's system by inspecting the customer's system, including cross-connections and devices used, and using all information available to determine whether all appropriate devices are installed and maintained in proper working order. The department shall map and schedule inspections of installed devices and premises to ensure all devices continue to be installed and maintained in proper working order.

b.

Discretion. The director shall use discretion, based on the Georgia Rules for Safe Drinking Water and on the county's policy and procedures for backflow and back-siphonage prevention and cross-connection control to determine whether the type of existing or proposed devices are sufficient to meet the threat of potential hazard to the county's potable water supply.

c.

Right to enter and to test. Pursuant to section 122-57, the director, or the director's authorized representative, shall have the right to enter a customer's premises to inspect and to test the piping system or systems thereof for cross-connections and compliance with the county's backflow prevention ordinance and policy. On request, the customer or occupant of any property so served shall furnish to the inspections agency any pertinent information regarding the piping system or refusal of access, when requested, shall be deemed evidence of the presence of cross-connections. Pursuant to section 12-59, the department is authorized to seek an inspection warrant when a customer or occupant of premises refuses access.

d.

Notice. If, in the judgment of the director, an approved backflow prevention device is required at the customer's water service connection, the director or his designated agent shall give notice in writing to the customer to install such an approved backflow prevention device at the service connection or where appropriate.

e.

Discontinuance of water service. The director has the authority to discontinue water service to the premises until the requirements of this section have been satisfactorily met.

f.

Notice to authorities. The department shall contact all appropriate federal, state and local agencies, including the county board of health, upon a finding of possible contamination or pollution of the county's potable water supply.

(2)

Customer. The customer shall immediately install approved backflow prevention device(s) as required and directed by the department at the customer's own expense. The customer has the duty to maintain approved backflow prevention device(s) at all times. If a device so requires, the customer shall have the device tested annually or whenever deemed necessary by the department. The customer shall retain and provide testing results performed by an approved tester to the department as requested. Failure, refusal or inability on the part of the customer to install, have tested and maintain the device or to report testing results shall subject the customer to the enforcement provisions of division 2 of this article.

(d)

Requirements. The following requirements are part of the department's policy for protection of the water supply:

(1)

Protection. No water service connection to any premises shall be installed or maintained by the water purveyor unless the water supply is protected as required by state laws and regulation and this section. Service of water to any premises shall be discontinued by the water purveyor if a backflow prevention device required by this section is not installed, tested and maintained at the customer's expense, or if it is found that a backflow prevention device has been removed or bypassed. Service will not be restored until such conditions or defects are corrected.

a.

Accessibility. The customer's system shall be readily accessible and open for inspection at all reasonable times to authorized representatives of the department to determine whether cross-connections or other structural, sanitary, contamination or pollution hazards, including violations of these regulations, exist. Reduced pressure backflow prevention devices and assemblies shall be readily accessible and installed in such a manner as to prevent partial or total submergence of the device or assemblies. Pit installations are prohibited. The county shall have the right to inspect and test the backflow prevention device or devices on an annual basis or whenever deemed necessary, at the customer's expense. Upon a customer's failure to provide access, the department shall be authorized to seek an inspection warrant.

(2)

Notice. When such a condition becomes known, but does not constitute an emergency, the director or his designated agent shall give notice in writing to such customer to install such an approved backflow prevention device at his service connection.

(3)

Emergency hazards. When the county becomes aware of an actual emergency condition, the county water system and/or the department of public safety shall be authorized to isolate or contain the hazard or take any steps necessary to protect the public water supply. The department taking action shall give notice to the customer as soon as is reasonably practical under the circumstances.

(4)

Installation. An approved backflow prevention device appropriate to the degree of hazard shall also be installed by the customer at the customer's expense on each service line to a customer's water system at or near the property line or immediately inside the building being serviced but, in all cases, before the first branch line leading off the service line whenever any the following conditions exist:

a.

When premises have an auxiliary water supply which does not or may not have a safe bacteriological or chemical quality and which is not acceptable as an additional source by the director.

b.

When premises upon which any industrial fluids or any other objectionable substance is handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard to the public water system. This shall include the handling of process waters and waters originating from the utility system which have been subject to deterioration in quality.

c.

When premises have internal cross-connections that cannot be permanently corrected and controlled, or intricate plumbing and piping arrangements or where 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.

d.

When premises contain any service connection ¾ inches or larger in diameter.

(5)

Types of devices required or prohibited. The type of protective device required shall be provided by and at the expense of the customer and shall depend upon the degree of hazard on premises.

a.

The public water system shall be protected by an approved air-gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device whenever any of the following conditions exist:

1.

Where there is an auxiliary water supply.

2.

Where there is any health hazard which is handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard to the public water system. Examples of premises where these conditions will exist include sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, chemical manufacturing plants, hospitals, mortuaries, and plating plants.

3.

Where there are uncontrolled cross-connections, either actual or potential.

4.

Where, because of security requirements or other prohibitions or restrictions, it is impossible or impractical to make a complete in-plant cross-connection survey or inspection.

b.

The public water system shall be protected by an approved air-gap separation or an approved double check valve assembly whenever there exists a substance that would be objectionable but not hazardous to health if introduced into the public water system.

c.

Any backflow prevention device required herein shall be of an appropriate model and size. In addition, if a device is installed such that it directly affects fire hydrants, standpipes and/or sprinkler systems, the county fire marshal's office must approve the device prior to installation.

Cross reference— Enforcement; establishment and duties of bureau of fire prevention; authority of fire marshal, § 54-55.

d.

The customer shall install a thermal expansion relief device in the customer's water system whenever a backflow prevention device is installed.

e.

Unprotected takeoffs from the service line ahead of any meter or backflow prevention device located at the point of delivery to the customer's water system shall be prohibited.

(6)

Effective dates.

a.

Section. This section shall become effective immediately upon approval by the board of commissioners.

b.

Compliance. Customers with pre-existing cross-connections, auxiliary intakes, bypasses, or interconnections in violation of this policy shall have a reasonable time to comply with the director's order to install an approved backflow prevention device. After a thorough investigation of existing conditions and an appraisal of the time required to install an approved device, the deadline for compliance shall be determined by the director.

(Ord. of 6-28-88, § 3-26-51; Ord. of 12-11-01; Amd. of 2-26-13)