[HISTORY: Adopted by the Special Town Meeting of the Town of Blackstone 6-17-1991
by Art. 10. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is:
A.Â
To protect the public potable water supply served by
the Blackstone Water Department from the possibility of contamination or pollution
by isolating such contaminates or pollutants which could backflow or backsiphon
into the public water system.
B.Â
To promote the elimination or control of existing cross-connections,
actual or potential, between its customers in-plant potable water system and
nonpotable systems.
C.Â
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.
A.Â
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.
The Water Department shall be responsible for the protection of the
public potable water distribution system from contamination or pollution due
to the backflow or backsiphonage of contaminates or pollutants. If, as a result
of a survey of the premises, the Blackstone Water Department determines that
an approved backflow prevention device is required at the Town's water service
connection or as in-plant protection on any customer's premises, the Blackstone
Water Department, 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 Blackstone Water Department,
install such approved device or devices at his 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.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
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.
Accepted by the reviewing authority as meeting an applicable specification
stated or cited in this regulation or as suitable for the proposed use.
A method to prevent backflow approved by the Department for use in
Massachusetts.
An approved backflow device used to prevent backsiphonage which is
not designed for use under static line pressure.
Any water supply of unknown or questionable quality on or available
to the premises other than the supplier's approved public potable water supply.
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.
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 open
position.
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.
A form of backflow due to reduced or subatmospheric pressure within
a water system.
A loop of pipe rising at least 35 feet, at its topmost point, above
the highest fixture it supplies.
The Town of Blackstone Water Department or owner or operator of a
public water supply system.
Any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substance or matter
in water.
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.
A violation form designated by the Department 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 procedure for corrective action.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Quality Engineering.
A backflow prevention device which incorporates an assembly of check
valves, with shutoff valves at each end and appurtenances for testing.
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.
Any person maintaining a cross-connection installation or owning
or occupying premises on which cross-connections can or do exist.
A document issued by the Department which allows a cross-connection
installation.
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.
An approved backflow prevention device designed to prevent only backsiphonage
and which is designed for use under static line pressure and which has necessary
appurtenances for testing.
An approved backflow prevention device incorporating two more check
valves, an automatically operating differential relief valve located between
the two checks, two shutoff valves and necessary appurtenances for testing.
An assembly of two spring-loaded, independently operating check valves
without tightly closing shutoff valves and test cocks, generally employed
immediately downstream of the water meter to act as a containment device.
The Department, its designee, or the local Plumbing Inspector, authorized
by MGL 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.
A.Â
The Blackstone Water Department will operate an active
cross-connection control program to include the keeping of necessary records,
which fulfills the requirements of the State Department of Environmental Protection's
cross-connection regulations and is approved by the Department of Environmental
Protection.
B.Â
The owner shall allow his property to be inspected for
possible cross-connections and shall follow the provisions of the Blackstone
Water Department's program and the Department of Environmental Protection
regulations.
A.Â
Blackstone Water Department.
(1)Â
On new installations, the Blackstone Water Department
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)Â
For premises existing prior to the start of this program,
the Blackstone Water Department 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)Â
The Blackstone Water Department 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 ensure satisfactory
operation.
(4)Â
If the Blackstone Water Department determines at any
time that a serious threat to the public health exists, the water service
will be terminated immediately.
(5)Â
The Blackstone Water Department shall have on its staff,
or shall have a delegated representative who is, a backflow prevention device
tester certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
(6)Â
The Blackstone Water Department will begin initial premises
inspections to determine the nature of existing or potential hazards, following
the approval of this program by the Department, during calendar year 1991.
Initial focus will be on high-hazard industries and commercial premises.
B.Â
Owner.
(1)Â
The owner shall be responsible for the elimination or
protection of all cross-connections on his premises.
(2)Â
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 and applying annually for
the renewal of each permit.
(3)Â
The owner shall have any device that fails an inspection
or test repaired by a licensed plumber.
(4)Â
The owner shall inform the Blackstone Water Department
of any proposed or modified cross-connection and also any existing cross-connections
of which the owner is aware but have not been found by the Blackstone Water
Department.
(5)Â
The owner shall not install a bypass around any backflow
preventer unless there is a backflow preventer of the same type on the bypass.
Owners who cannot shut down operation for testing of the device(s) must supply
additional devices necessary to allow testing to take place.
(6)Â
The owner shall install backflow preventers in a manner
approved by the Department of Environmental Protection and by the Blackstone
Water Department.
(7)Â
The owner shall install only reduced-pressure backflow
preventers and double check valve assemblies approved by the State Department
of Environmental Protection.
(8)Â
Any owner of industrial, commercial or institutional
premises having a private well or other private water source must have a permit
if the well or source is cross-connected to the Blackstone Water Department's
system. Permission to cross-connect may be denied by the Blackstone Water
Department. The owner may be required to install a backflow preventer at the
service entrance if a private water source is maintained even if it is not
cross-connected to the Blackstone Water Department's system.
(9)Â
The owner of any residential premises having a private
well or other private water source will not be allowed a physical connection
with the public water supply system.
(10)Â
The owner shall be responsible for the payment of all
fees for permits, device testings, retestings in the case that the device
fails to operate correctly and second reinspections for noncompliance with
Blackstone Water Department or Department of Environmental Protection requirements.
The Blackstone Water Department recognizes the threat to the public
water system arising from cross-connections. As such, the Blackstone Water
Department, 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 system.
The Blackstone Water Department shall not allow a cross-connection to
exist with the public water supply system unless it is considered necessary
and all appropriate approvals and permits have been issued.
Any existing backflow preventer shall be allowed by the Blackstone Water
Department to continue in service unless the degree of hazard is such as to
supersede the effectiveness of the present backflow preventer or result in
an 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.
