I. PURPOSE
A. To protect the public water supply served by the Dennis Water District from the possibility of contamination or pollution by isolating 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 non-potable systems.
C. To provide for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross connection control which will effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of all potable water systems by cross connection.
II. AUTHORITY
A. As provided in the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, (Public Law 93-523), and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Drinking Water Regulations, 310 CMR 22.22, the water purveyor has the primary responsibility for preventing water from unapproved sources or any other substances from entering the public potable water system.
B. The Dennis Water District, Rules and Regulations section 600, adopted and amended April 13, 2000.
III. RESPONSIBILITY
A. The District shall be responsible for the protection of the public potable water distribution system from contamination or pollution due to the backflow or bachsiphonage of contaminants or pollutants. If, as a result of a survey of the premises, the District determines that an approved backflow prevention device is required at the water service connection or as in-plant protection on any customer’s premises, the District, or its delegated agent, shall issue a cross connection violation form to said customer to install approved backflow prevention devices. The customer shall, within a time frame determined by the District, install such approved device or devices at its own expense, and failure or refusal or inability on the part of the customer to install said device or devices within
the specified time frame shall constitute a ground for discontinuing water service to the premises until such device or devices have been properly installed.
IV. DEFINITIONS
A. Air Gap Separation: The method of preventing backflow through the use of an 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 rim of the receptacle. The vertical distance must be at least 2 X the diameter of the pipe of faucet.
B. Approved: Accepted by the reviewing authority as meeting an applicable specification stated or cited in this regulation or as suitable for the purposed use.
C. Approved Backflow Prevention Device or Devices: A method to prevent backflow approved by the Department for use in Massachusetts.
D. Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker: An approved backflow device used to prevent bachsiphonage which is not designed for use under static line pressure.
E. Auxiliary Water Supply: Any water supply of unknown or questionable quality on or available to the premises other than the supplier’s approved public potable water supply.
F. Back Pressure: Pressure created by mechanical means or other means which causes water or other liquids or substances to flow or move in a direction opposite to that which is intended.
Back Siphonage: A form of backflow due to reduced or sub-atmospheric pressure
within a water system.
Backflow: The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances into the distribution pipes of a potable water supply from any source other than the intended source.
I Backflow Preventer with Intermediate Atmospheric Vent: A device having two independently operating check valves separated by an intermediate chamber with a means for automatically venting it to the atmosphere, in which the check valves are forced loaded to a normally closed position and the venting means is force loaded to a normally open position.
J. Contaminant: Any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substance or matter in water.
K. Cross Connection: Any actual or potential connection between a distribution pipe of potable water from a public water system and any waste pipe, soil pipe, sewer, drain, or other unapproved source.
L. Cross Connection Violation Form: A violation form designated by the District, which is sent to the owner by the water supplier with copies sent to the Department, plumbing inspectors and Board of Health delineating cross connection violations found on the owner’s premises and a procedure for corrective action.
M. Department: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
N. District: The Dennis Water District public water system.
O. Double Check Valve Assembly: A backflow prevention device which incorporate an assembly of check valves, with shut-off valves at each end and appurtenances for testing.
P. In-Plant Protection: The location of approved backflow prevention devices in a manner which provides simultaneous protection of the public water system and the potable water system within the premises.
Q. Owner: Any person maintaining a cross connection installation or owning or occupying premises on which cross connections can or do exist.
R. Permit: A document issued by the District or the Department which allows a cross connection to exist.
S. Person: Any individual, corporation, company, association, trust, partnership, the Commonwealth, a municipality, district, or other subdivision or instrumentality of the United States, except that nothing herein shall be constructed to refer to or to include any American Indian tribe or the United States Secretary of the Interior in his capacity as trustee of Indian lands.
T. Pressure Vacuum Breaker: An approved backflow prevention device designed to prevent only back siphonage and which is designed for use under static line pressure and which has necessary appurtenances for testing.
U. Reduced Pressure Backflow Preventer: An approved backflow prevention device incorporating (1) two more check valves, (2) an automatically operating differential relief valve located between the two checks, (3) two shut off vales, and (4) necessary appurtenances for testing.
V. Residential Dual Check: An assembly of two spring loaded, independently operating check valves without tightly closing shut-off valves and test cocks. Generally employed immediately down stream of the water meter to act as a containment device.
W. Reviewing Authority: The Department, its Designee, or the local plumbing inspector, authorized by M.G.L. c.142 and licensed by the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, whichever is responsible for the review and approval of the installation of an approved backflow prevention device.
V. ADMINISTRATION
a. The District will operate an active cross connection control program, to include the keeping of necessary records, which fulfills the requirements of the State DEP’s Cross Connection Regulations and is approved by the Department
b. The owner shall allow his property to be inspected for possible cross connections and shall follow the provisions of the District’s program and the Department regulations.
VI. REQUIREMENTS
A. DISTRICT
1. On new installations, the District will provide on-site evaluation and/or inspection of plans in order to determine the type of backflow preventer, if any, that will be required, and notify the owner of plan approval requirements by the appropriate reviewing authority.
2. For premises existing prior to the start of this program, the District will perform surveys of the premises and reviews of as-built plans and issue a cross connection violation form to the owner detailing any corrective action required, the method of achieving the correction, and the time allowed for the correction to be made. The time period allowed shall depend upon the degree of hazard involved.
3. The District will not allow any cross connection to remain unless it is protected by an approved backflow preventer for which a permit has been issued and which will be regularly tested to insure satisfactory operation.
4. If the District determines at any time that a serious threat to the public health exists, the water service will be terminated immediately.
5. The District shall have on its staff, or shall have a delegated representative, who is a backflow prevention device tester certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
B. OWNER
1. The Owner shall be responsible for the elimination or proper protection of all cross connections on his premises.
2. The Owner shall be responsible for applying for and obtaining all necessary approvals and permits for the maintenance of cross connections and installation of backflow prevention devices.
3. The Owner shall have any devise that fails an inspection or test repaired by a licensed plumber.
4. The Owner shall inform the District of any proposed or modified cross connection and also any existing cross connections of which the owner is aware but has not been found by the District.
5. The Owner shall not install any by-pass around any backflow device preventer unless there is a backflow preventer of the same type on the by-pass. Owners who can not shut down operation for testing of the device(s) must supply additional devices necessary to allow testing to take place.
6. The Owner shall install backflow preventers in a manner approved by the Department and by the District.
7. The Owner shall install only reduced pressure backflow preventers and double check valve assemblies approved by the Department.
8. Any Owner of industrial, commercial, institutional, or residential premises having a private well or other private water source must disconnect the unapproved source from the public water supply. This cross connection is strictly prohibited by the District.
9. The Owner shall be responsible for the payment of all device testings, retesting in the case that a device fails to operate correctly, and second re-inspections for non-compliance with District and Department requirements.
VII. DEGREE OF HAZARD
The District recognizes the threat to the public water system arising from cross connections. As such, the District, whereas it is responsible for the quality of the public water supply, may require a containment device on the water service entrance to any customer who, as a result of unprotected cross connections, could contaminate the public water supply.
VIII. ENFORCEMENT
The District shall not allow a cross connection to exist with the public water system unless it is considered necessary and all appropriate approvals and permits have been issued.
IX. EXISTING IN-USE BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICES
Any existing backflow preventer shall be allowed by the District to continue in service unless the degree of hazard is such as to supersede the effectiveness of the present backflow preventer or result in 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 backflow preventer, or a reduced pressure backflow preventer must be installed in the event that no backflow device was present.
X. ROUTINE TESTING
A. The District shall determine the responsibility of the testing program , if the owner or the District should be responsible for the testing of the device. Reduced pressure backflow preventers shall be tested and inspected at least semi-annually and a double check valve assemblies shall be tested and inspected annually.
B. Backflow testing shall be done by a Massachusetts DEP certified backflow device tester.
C. The testing shall be done during the Districts normal business hours. Exceptions to this, when at the request of the owner, may require additional charges to cover the increased costs to the District.
D. Any backflow preventer which fails during a periodic test must be repaired and or replaced by a licensed plumber. When repairs are necessary, upon completion of the repair, the device will be retested at the owner’s expense to insure proper operation. High hazard situations will not be allowed to continue unprotected if the backflow preventer fails the test and cannot be repaired immediately. In other situations, a compliance date of not more than fourteen days after the test date will be established. The owner is responsible of spare parts, repair tools, or a replacement device. Parallel installation of two devices is an effective means or repair of devices and is strongly recommended when the owner desires such continuity.
E. Backflow device testing will be conducted more frequently than specified in “A” above where the history of the device has a high rate of failures and the District feels that due to the degree of hazard involved, additional testing is warranted. Cost of the additional tests will be born by the owner.
XI. RECORDS AND REPORTS
A. RECORDS:
The District will initiate and maintain the following records for a period of seven (7) years:
 Master files on customer cross connection tests and/or inspections. Master files on approved cross connection installations Master files on facilities surveyed and violations found. Master files on correspondences, violation notices and enforcement actions.
B. REPORTS:
The District will submit reports, such as: listing of cross connection and respective devices, summary of cross connection inspections and surveys, to the DEP upon request.
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