§ 134-124. Operation policy and requirements.

(a)

Operation policy.

(1)

No service connection that creates an actual or verified potential hazard to the county's public water system shall be installed or maintained by the county unless the county's public water system is protected as required by this division. Service of water to any premises shall be discontinued by the county if a backflow prevention assembly required by this division is not installed, tested and maintained or if it is found that a backflow prevention assembly has been removed or tampered with. Service shall not be restored until such conditions or defects are corrected.

(2)

The facility owner shall be responsible for monitoring the changes in use of the facility and the degree of hazard that those changes represent to the county's public water system in accordance with this division. Failure to provide this information to the department in a timely manner may result in immediate discontinuance of service until the facility owner has corrected the hazard and reported the information, as required under this division, to the department.

(3)

An approved and appropriate backflow prevention assembly shall be installed as part of each service connection wherever and whenever any of the following conditions exist beyond the service connection:

a.

An auxiliary water supply exists.

b.

Industrial fluids or any other objectionable substances are handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard of any kind to the county's water system.

c.

Internal plumbing or piping arrangements are not known, making it impracticable or impossible to ascertain whether or not cross-connections exist.

d.

A commercial facility and/or multifamily development exists.

(4)

The type of backflow prevention assembly required shall depend upon the degree of hazard that may exist as follows:

a.

In cases where there is a surface water auxiliary supply, the county's water system shall be protected by an approved air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.

b.

In cases where there is a ground water auxiliary water supply, the county's public water system shall be protected by an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.

c.

In cases where there are any substances that would be objectionable, but not hazardous to health, the county's water system shall be protected by an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.

d.

In cases of a facility, where material is stored or handled so as to create an actual or potential hazard of any kind to the county's public water system, the public water system shall be protected by an approved air gap separation or approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.

e.

In cases of any facility, where because of security requirements or other prohibitions or restrictions, it is impossible or impractical to make a complete cross-connection survey, the county's public water system shall be protected against backflow by either an approved air gap separation or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.

f.

In cases of any facility, where the department determines an undue health threat is posed because of the presence of extremely toxic substances, the department may require an air gap at the service connection to protect the county's public water system.

(5)

Any required backflow prevention assembly and its configuration shall be as specified by this division, the Collier County Utility Standards and Procedures Ordinance, Ordinance No. 04-31, any amendments or successors thereto and the department's administrative and operational procedures.

(6)

In the case of any facility, where a backflow prevention assembly is installed, it shall be the responsibility of the facility owner to adhere to the requirements for facility owners as specified within this division.

(7)

All persons or companies providing services to the county or the facility owner as specified by this division shall comply with all provision and requirements of this division. Failure to adhere to the requirements contained within this division shall be grounds for removal from the department's approved list or termination of any county contracts for the provision of services under this division.

(8)

All installed backflow prevention assemblies existing as of the effective date of this division that do not meet the requirements of this division, but that were approved assemblies for the purposes of this division at the time of installation and that have been properly maintained, shall be exempt from the construction standards of this division and the department's related administrative and operational procedures provided that any such backflow prevention assembly will satisfactorily protect the county's public water system. Whenever any such existing assembly is moved from its present location or requires replacement, the assembly shall be replaced by an approved backflow prevention assembly meeting all of the requirements of this division.

(b)

County-owned backflow prevention assemblies, installation maintenance and testing requirements.

(1)

Ownership. The county shall own all backflow prevention assemblies as required by this division.

(2)

Installation. The county shall install or cause to be installed the appropriate new or replacement backflow prevention assembly in accordance with this division.

(3)

Maintenance. The county shall maintain or cause to be maintained all backflow prevention assemblies in accordance with this division.

(4)

Testing. The county shall test or cause to be tested all backflow prevention assemblies in accordance with this division.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 4, 7-29-97; Ord. No. 08-32, § 3)