§ 18-142. Responsibilities.

(a)

The director shall be authorized to carry out the program in accordance with the minimum requirements of the waterworks regulations;

(b)

The director shall be authorized to take appropriate action for water quality and the construction, operation and maintenance of the county potable water supply system beginning at the water source and ending at the service connection, or to the authorized extent of his jurisdiction;

(c)

The cross connection program shall provide primarily for containment of any potential pollutants or contaminants at the water service connection. As an option and in accordance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code, the program shall also provide for isolation of any potential pollutants or contaminants at individual points-of-use and outlets within the owner's building, structure or property;

(d)

The director shall be authorized, to the extent of his jurisdiction, to continually identify and assess all cross connection hazards to the county potable water supply system. This may include an assessment of each building, structure or property owner's potable water supply system for cross connections, conducted at a frequency established by the director or the waterworks regulations. Assessments may be conducted through mailed questionnaires, telephone or on-site interviews, or physical inspections as established in the approved cross connection control and backflow prevention program. Following the assessment the customer shall be required to install and maintain backflow prevention methods, assemblies or devices to prevent pollution or contamination of the county or owner's potable water supply system, and to protect the health, safety and welfare of the consumer;

(e)

The director shall be authorized to promptly take or cause corrective actions to confine and eliminate the pollution or contamination of the county or owner's potable water supply system, and the health, safety and welfare of the consumer, in the event backflow occurs. The director shall be authorized to immediately notify the regional office of the department of health by telephone and submit a written report by the tenth day of the month following the month in which the backflow occurred. The report shall address the incident, its causes, effects, and preventive or control measures necessary or taken;

(f)

The director shall be authorized to take positive action at all times to ensure that the county potable water supply system is adequately protected from cross connections and backflow. If an unprotected or inadequately protected cross connection exists, an existing backflow prevention assembly or device is not maintained in accordance with applicable regulations, codes, standards and procedures, or the backflow of undesirable substances occurs into the county potable water supply system, or if the owner's potable water supply system causes the county potable water supply system to be lowered to ten psi or less, the director shall be authorized to discontinue water service to the owner and not restore the service until such time as the deficiencies have been corrected or eliminated to the satisfaction of the director;

(g)

The director shall be authorized to notify the owner of any cross connection downstream of the water service connection that should be abated or controlled by the installation of the appropriate backflow prevention method, assembly or device applied at each point-of-use, isolating an area, process, piping, equipment item or plumbing fixture which may present a hazard to the owner's or county potable water supply system;

(h)

The cross connection control coordinator shall be authorized to organize the program, supervise its operation, prepare and maintain program documents, specifications and procedures, conduct assessments and inspections, maintain program records, provide information to the public as requested or necessary, and provide assistance and guidance to other county departments;

(i)

The building official shall be authorized to carry out portions of the program, as requested by the director and in mutual agreement between the departments, and be responsible for the construction of new buildings and structures, and any alterations, additions, changes in occupancy, and maintenance of existing buildings and structures in accordance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code;

(j)

The owner shall, upon request, furnish the director with pertinent information regarding a building, structure or property's construction, use(s), water use(s), water-using systems, processes, piping, plumbing and equipment for the purpose of assessing existing or potential hazards to the county potable water supply system, the owner's potable water supply system, or the consumer if backflow were to occur. A refusal to provide such information shall result in a high degree of hazard assessment and require the immediate installation of a backflow prevention method or assembly in the potable water service to the building, structure or property; and

(k)

The owner shall, at his/her own expense, install, operate, test and maintain the required backflow prevention method, assembly or device. All appropriate backflow prevention assemblies and devices shall be tested upon installation, repair, replacement, and annually as a minimum, by a backflow prevention device worker certified by the applicable licensing and certification agency. The owner shall provide the director with copies of test reports no later than 30 days after completion of the work, and other relevant information as requested. Such work shall be performed by licensed and certified individuals as specified in this and other applicable references.

(Ord. of 4-29-09(2), § 1)

(Ord. of 4-29-09(2), § 1)