The purpose of this article is to:

(a)   Protect the public potable water supply of the city from pollution or contamination due to cross connection;

(b)   Eliminate all cross connections within the potable water supply system; and

(c)   Provide for the maintenance of a continuing effective cross connection control program and thus protect the public health.

(Ord. 3074, § 1(1), 3-13-90; Code 2016, Sec. 94-416)

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

(a)   Agency means the department of the municipal government or water purveyor invested with the responsibility for enforcement of this article.

(b)   Air gap means the unobstructed vertical distance at least twice the diameter of the supply line and no less than one inch, 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 rim of the receptacle.

(c)   Approved device means devices tested and accepted by a recognized testing laboratory, approved by the state department of health and environment and the city.

(d)   Backflow means the flow of water or other substances into the distribution system of a potable supply of water from any source other than its intended source. Backsiphonage is one type of backflow.

(e)   Backflow preventer means a device or means to prevent backflow.

(f)    Backsiphonage means the flowing back of contaminated or polluted substances from a plumbing fixture or any vessel or source into the potable water supply system due to negative pressure in such system.

(g)   Contaminant means any substance that upon entering the potable water supply would render it a danger to the health or life of the customer.

(h)   Cross connection means any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise separate piping systems, one of which contains potable water and the other of water or any substance of unknown or questionable quality whereby there may be flow from one system to the other.

(i)    Double check valve assembly means a device consisting of two internally loaded soft seated check valves with positive shutoff valves on both upstream and downstream ends, and properly located test ports.

(j)    Flood level rim means the edge of the receptacle from which water overflows. Free water surface means a water surface at atmospheric pressure.

(k)   Frostproof closet means a hopper with no water in the bowl and with the trap and water supply control valve located below the frostline.

(l)    Plumbing means the practice, materials and fixtures used in the installation, maintenance, extension and alteration of all piping fixtures, appliances and appurtenances.

(m)  Pollution means the presence of any foreign substance (organic, inorganic or biological) in water which tends to degrade its quality so as to constitute a 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 affect the water.

(n)   Reduced pressure zone backflow preventer means an assembly of two independently acting soft approved check valves together with a hydraulically operating mechanically independent differential pressure relief valve located between the check valves and at the same time below the first check valve. The unit shall contain properly located test cocks and resilient seated shutoff valves at each end of the assembly. To be approved these assemblies must be accessible for inspection and testing and be installed where no part of the assembly will be submerged.

(o)   Tester means a trained technician certified in the testing and repair of backflow preventers. Vacuum means any absolute pressure less than that exerted by the atmosphere.

(p)   Vacuum breaker means a device that permits air into the water supply distribution line to prevent backsiphonage.

(q)   Water, nonpotable means water that is not safe for human consumption or that is of questionable potability.

(r)    Water, potable means water free from impurities in amounts sufficient to cause disease or harmful physiological effects. Its quality shall conform to state department of health and environment requirements for public water supplies.

(Ord. 3074, § 2, 3-13-90; Code 2016, Sec. 94-417)

The water superintendent shall be responsible for effectively conducting the cross connection control program of the city public water supply. If in the judgment of the backflow prevention technician an approved backflow prevention device is required, the code enforcement officer or the agent of the code enforcement officer will give notice in writing to the customer to install the proper device. The customer shall immediately install the proper device at the customer’s expense. Failure to comply shall be grounds for discontinuing water service to such customer until the device is properly installed.

(Ord. 3074, § 1(2), 3-13-90; Code 2016, Sec. 94-418)

(a)   General. A potable water supply system shall be designed, installed and maintained in such a manner as to prevent contamination from nonpotable sources through cross connections or any piping connection to the system.

(b)   Cross connections. Cross connections between the potable water supply system and other systems or equipment containing water or other substances of unknown quality are prohibited except when and where, as approved by the code enforcement officer, suitable backflow preventers are properly installed, tested and maintained to ensure proper operation on a continuing basis.

(c)   Interconnections. Interconnection between two or more public water supplies shall be permitted only with the approval of the state department of health and environment. (K.S.A. 65-163a)

(d)   Individual water supplies. Connections between a private water supply and the public potable water shall be prohibited. (K.S.A. 65-163a)

(e)   Connections to boilers. Potable water connections to boiler feed water systems in which boiler water conditioning chemicals are or can be introduced shall be made through an air gap or through a reduced pressure zone principle backflow preventer located in the potable water line before the point where such chemicals may be introduced.

(f)    Prohibited connections. Connection to the public potable water supply system for the following is prohibited unless properly protected by the appropriate backflow prevention device:

(1)   Bidets;

(2)   Operating, dissecting, embalming, and mortuary tables or similar equipment in such installations the hose used for water supply shall terminate at least 12 inches away from every point of the table or attachments;

(3)   Pumps for nonpotable substances; priming only through an air gap;

(4)   Building drains, sewer or vent systems;

(5)   Commercial buildings or industrial plants manufacturing, or otherwise using polluting or contaminating substances; and

(6)   Any fixture of similar hazard.

(g)   Refrigeration unit condensers and cooling jackets. Except when potable water provided for a refrigeration condenser or cooling jacket is entirely outside the piping or tank containing a toxic refrigerant, the inlet connection shall be provided with an approved backflow preventer. Heat exchangers used to heat water for potable use shall be of the double wall type.

(h)   Protective devices required. The type of protective device required under this article shall be determined by the degree of hazard which exists as follows:

(1)   Premises having an auxiliary water supply shall protect the public system by either an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle back prevention assembly.

(2)   Premises having water or substances which would be nonhazardous to the health and well- being of the consumers shall protect the public system with no less than an approved double check valve assembly.

(3)   Premises where material dangerous to health is handled in such a manner as to create an actual or potential hazard shall protect the public system by an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.

(4)   Premises where cross connections are uncontrolled shall protect the public water supply by installing an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device at the service connection.

(5)   Premises where because of security requirements or other prohibitions it is impossible to complete an in plant inspection cross connection inspection, the public system shall be protected by an approved air gap or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.

Premises which may fall into one or more of the above-mentioned categories may be, but are not limited to, the following:

(A)  Beverage bottling plants;

(B)  Buildings: Hotels, apartments, public or private buildings, or other structures having actual or potential cross connections;

(C)  Car wash facilities;

(D)  Chemical manufacturing, handling or processing plants;

(E)   Chemically contaminated water;

(F)   Dairies and cold storage facilities;

(G)  Film or photography processing laboratories;

(H)  Fire systems;

(I)    Hospitals, medical centers, morgues, mortuaries, autopsy facilities, clinics, or nursing and convalescent homes;

(J)   Irrigation systems;

(K)  Laundries;

(L)   Metal cleaning, processing or fabricating plants;

(M)  Oil and gas production, storage or transmission facilities;

(N)  Packing or food processing plants;

(O)  Paper and paper products plants;

(P)   Power plants;

(Q)  Radioactive materials, plants or handling facilities;

(R)  Restricted or classified facilities;

(S)   Rubber plants;

(T)   Sand, gravel or asphalt plants;

(U)  Schools or colleges;

(V)  Sewage and storm drainage facilities and reclaimed water systems;

(W) Solar heating systems;

(X)  Temporary service; fire hydrants, air valves, blowoffs and other outlets; and

(Y)  Waterfront marinas.

(Ord. 3074, § 3, 3-13-90; Code 2016, Sec. 94-419)

(a)   General requirements. Approved devices shall be installed at all fixtures and equipment where backflow or backsiphonage may occur and where a minimum air gap between the potable water outlet and the fixture or equipment flood level rim cannot be maintained. Backflow and backsiphonage devices of all types shall be accessibly located. Installation in pits or any other location not properly drained shall be prohibited, except that dual check valves may be installed in the meter box.

(b)   Connections not subject to back pressure. Where a water connection is not subject to back pressure, a vacuum breaker shall be installed on the discharge side of the last valve on the line serving the fixture or equipment. A list of some conditions requiring protective devices of this kind are given in the following table:

 

CROSS CONNECTIONS WHERE PROTECTIVE DEVICES ARE REQUIRED AND CRITICAL LEVEL (C-L) SETTINGS FOR VACUUM BREAKERS, OR AS DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE AGENCY

(c)   Connections subject to back pressure. Where a potable water connection is made to a line, fixture, tank, vat, pump or other equipment with a hazard of backflow or back pressure, and an air gap cannot be installed, the city may require the use of an approved reduced pressure principle backflow preventer. A partial list of such connections is shown below:

(d)   Barometric loop. Water connections where an actual or potential backsiphonage hazard exists may, in lieu of devices specified above, be provided with a barometric loop. Barometric loops shall precede the point of connection.

(e)   Dual check valve. Dual check valves may be installed at the meter. These valves shall be inspected and repaired not less frequent than every third year. These valves shall be installed only in situations where the city is assured that only noncontaminating substances are subject to backflow into the potable system.

(f)    Vacuum breakers. Atmospheric vacuum breakers shall be installed with the critical level at least six inches above the flood rim of the fixture they serve and on the discharge side of the last control valve to the fixture. No shutoff valve or faucet shall be installed beyond the atmospheric vacuum breakers. Pressure vacuum breakers shall be installed with the critical level at least 12 inches above the flood rim, but may have control valves downstream from the vacuum breaker. For closed equipment or vessels, such as pressure sterilizers, the top of the vessel shall be considered the flood level rim, and a check valve shall be installed on the discharge side of the pressure vacuum breaker.

(Ord. 3074, § 4, 3-13-90; Code 2016, Sec. 94-420)

(a)   It shall be the responsibility of building and premises owners to maintain all backflow preventers and vacuum breakers within the building or on the premises in good working order and to make sure no piping or other arrangements have been installed for the purpose of bypassing the backflow devices. Testing and repair of these devices should be made by trained technicians, certified by the state department of health and environment. The backflow prevention technicians shall determine the proper installation of all backflow preventers and will set appropriate testing and overhaul schedules for devices. Testing intervals shall not exceed one year, and overhaul intervals shall not exceed five years.

(b)   All certified tester/repair technicians shall be recertified at no less than three-year intervals.

(Ord. 3074, § 5, 3-13-90; Code 2016, Sec. 94-421)

The code enforcement officer or his designee shall notify the owner, or authorized agent of the owner, of a building or premises in which there is found a violation of this article, of such violation. The code enforcement officer or his designee shall set a reasonable time for the owner to have the violation corrected. If the owner fails to correct the violation within the specified time, the city shall cease delivery of water to the building or premises until the violation shall be satisfactorily corrected.

(Ord. 3074, § 6, 3-13-90; Code 2016, Sec. 94-422)