13.24.030 Cross-connection protection requirements.

2. Whenever the city of Columbia Falls water department finds that backflow protection is necessary to protect the public water supply, the city of Columbia Falls water department will require the water user to install an approved backflow prevention assembly at the water user’s expense for continued service or before a new service will be granted.

3. Whenever the city of Columbia Falls water department finds that backflow protection is necessary on a water supply line entering a water user’s premises, then any and all water supply lines from the city of Columbia Falls water department’s mains entering such premises, buildings, or structures shall be protected by an approved backflow prevention assembly. The type of assembly to be installed will be in accordance with the requirements of this program.

1. Each service connection from the city of Columbia Falls water department water system supplying water to premises having an auxiliary water supply shall be protected against backflow of water from the premises into the public water supply system.

2. Each city of Columbia Falls water department service connection supplying water to any premises on which any substance is handled in such fashion that it may be allowed to enter the public water system shall be protected against backflow from the premises into the public water supply with an approved backflow prevention assembly. This shall include the handling of process waters and water originating from the city of Columbia Falls water department water system which have been subjected to any change in water quality.

3. Backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed on the service connection to any premises having: (a) internal cross-connections that cannot be permanently corrected and controlled to the satisfaction of the state or local health department and the city of Columbia Falls water department, (b) complicated plumbing and piping arrangements or where entry to all portions of the premises are not readily accessible for inspection purposes, making it impracticable or impossible to ascertain whether or not cross-connections exist, or (c) cross-connections that cannot be practically eliminated.

C. Type of Protection Required. The type of protection that shall be provided to prevent backflow into the approved water supply shall be commensurate with the degree of hazard that exists on the consumer’s premises. The types of protective assembly that may be required (listed in an increasing level of protection) include: 1. double check valve assembly (DCA), 2. atmospheric vacuum breaker (AVB), 3. pressure vacuum breaker (PVB), 4. reduced pressure zone backflow prevention assembly (RP), and 5. air-gap separation (AG). The water user may choose a higher level of protection than required by the city of Columbia Falls water department. The minimum types of backflow protection required to protect the approved water supply from varying degrees of hazard are given in Table I. Situations which are not covered in Table I shall be evaluated on a case by case basis and the appropriate backflow protection determined by the city of Columbia Falls water department shall be installed by the water user.

Degree of Hazard	Minimum Type of Back Flow Prevention
A. Sewage and Hazardous Substances.
1. Premises on which there are wastewater pumping and/or treatment plants and there is no interconnection with the potable water system. This does not include a single family residence that has a sewage lift pump. An RP may be provided in lieu of an air gap if approved the city of Columbia Falls water department.	AG
2. Premises on which hazardous substances are handled in such a manner that the substance may enter a potable water system. This does not include a single family residence that has a sewage lift pump. An RP may be provided in lieu of an AG if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.	AG
3. Premises on which there are irrigation systems into which fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides are, or can be, introduced.	RP
4. Premises, including single family residences, on which there are underground irrigation systems. An atmospheric or pressure vacuum breaker may be provided in lieu of an RP if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department	RP
B. Premises on which there is an unapproved auxiliary water supply which is connected with the public water system. An RP may be provided in lieu of an AG if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.	AG
C. Fire Protection Systems.
1. Premises on which the fire system is supplied from the public water system and interconnected with an unapproved water supply. An HP may be provided in lieu of an AG, if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.	AG
2. Premises on which the fire system is supplied from the public water system and where either elevated storage tanks or fire pumps which take suction from private reservoirs or tanks are used.	DCA
3. Premises on which the fire system is supplied from the public water system and there is standing water in the fire system or outside fire hose connections.	DCA
D. Premises on which entry is restricted so that inspections for cross-connections cannot be made with sufficient frequency or at short notice to assure that cross-connections do not exist.	RP
E. Premises on which there is a history of cross-connections being established or re-established.	RP
F. Premises on which two or more services supply water to the same building, structure, or premises shall have at least an RP assembly on each water service to be located adjacent to and on the customer’s side of the respective meters. A DCA may be provided in lieu of an RP if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.	RP
G. Premises on which the water user has installed a booster pump to increase the supply pressure to the building, structure, or premises shall have at least an RP assembly on each water service to be located adjacent to and on the customer’s side of the respective meters. A DCA may be provided in lieu of an HP if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department	RP
H. Premises on which there are boilers, water heaters, heat exchangers, cooling towers, air conditioners, or other plumbing arrangements in which corrosion inhibitors, antifreeze, or other chemicals are or can be used shall have at least an HP assembly on each water service to be located adjacent to and on the customer’s side of the respective meters. A DCA may be provided in lieu of an RP if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.	RP
I. Premises on which there is water treatment equipment through which chemicals or other substances are or can be injected into the customer’s water supply shall have at least an HP on each water service to be located adjacent to and on the customer’s side of the respective meters. A DCA may be provided in lieu of an RP if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.	RP

Degree of Hazard

Minimum Type
of Back Flow Prevention

A. Sewage and Hazardous Substances.

1. Premises on which there are wastewater pumping and/or treatment plants and there is no interconnection with the potable water system. This does not include a single family residence that has a sewage lift pump. An RP may be provided in lieu of an air gap if approved the city of Columbia Falls water department.

2. Premises on which hazardous substances are handled in such a manner that the substance may enter a potable water system. This does not include a single family residence that has a sewage lift pump. An RP may be provided in lieu of an AG if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.

3. Premises on which there are irrigation systems into which fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides are, or can be, introduced.

4. Premises, including single family residences, on which there are underground irrigation systems. An atmospheric or pressure vacuum breaker may be provided in lieu of an RP if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department

B. Premises on which there is an unapproved auxiliary water supply which is connected with the public water system. An RP may be provided in lieu of an AG if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.

C. Fire Protection Systems.

1. Premises on which the fire system is supplied from the public water system and interconnected with an unapproved water supply. An HP may be provided in lieu of an AG, if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.

2. Premises on which the fire system is supplied from the public water system and where either elevated storage tanks or fire pumps which take suction from private reservoirs or tanks are used.

DCA

3. Premises on which the fire system is supplied from the public water system and there is standing water in the fire system or outside fire hose connections.

DCA

D. Premises on which entry is restricted so that inspections for cross-connections cannot be made with sufficient frequency or at short notice to assure that cross-connections do not exist.

E. Premises on which there is a history of cross-connections being established or re-established.

F. Premises on which two or more services supply water to the same building, structure, or premises shall have at least an RP assembly on each water service to be located adjacent to and on the customer’s side of the respective meters. A DCA may be provided in lieu of an RP if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.

G. Premises on which the water user has installed a booster pump to increase the supply pressure to the building, structure, or premises shall have at least an RP assembly on each water service to be located adjacent to and on the customer’s side of the respective meters. A DCA may be provided in lieu of an HP if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department

H. Premises on which there are boilers, water heaters, heat exchangers, cooling towers, air conditioners, or other plumbing arrangements in which corrosion inhibitors, antifreeze, or other chemicals are or can be used shall have at least an HP assembly on each water service to be located adjacent to and on the customer’s side of the respective meters. A DCA may be provided in lieu of an RP if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.

I. Premises on which there is water treatment equipment through which chemicals or other substances are or can be injected into the customer’s water supply shall have at least an HP on each water service to be located adjacent to and on the customer’s side of the respective meters. A DCA may be provided in lieu of an RP if approved by the city of Columbia Falls water department.