§ 24-346. Backflow prevention devices required.

(a)

Questionable water supply. When premises having an auxiliary water supply which is not or may not be of safe bacteriological or chemical quality and which is not acceptable as an additional source to the Okaloosa County Water and Sewer Department and it is determined that a potential cross connection exists, then such premises shall have an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device installed in order to protect the public water supply against backflow.

(b)

Objectionable water or substances. For all premises where there is water or substances that could be objectionable but not hazardous to health, if introduced into the public water system, the public water system shall be protected by an approved double check valve assembly, or an approved vacuum breaker.

(c)

Dangerous material or substances. For all premises where there is any material dangerous to health, or which is handled in such a fashion as to create an actual or potential hazard to the public water system, the public water system shall be protected by an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device. Examples of premises where these conditions have been found to exist include sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, chemical manufacturing plants, hospitals, mortuaries and plating plants.

(d)

Uncontrolled cross connections. For all premises where there are "uncontrolled" cross connections, either actual or potential, the public water system shall be protected by an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device.

(e)

Survey not performed. For all premises where security requirements or other prohibitions or restrictions make it impossible or impractical to perform a complete in-plant cross connection survey, the public water system shall be protected with an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device.

(f)

Premises higher than two stories. For all non single-family residential premises more than two stories high (excluding basements), the public water system shall be protected by an approved double check valve assembly, unless otherwise dictated by section 24-346(8).

(g)

Installation requirements.

(1)

All backflow prevention devices shall be installed at a location designated by the Okaloosa County Water and Sewer Department. Generally, this will be immediately on the customer's side of the meter. If circumstances make this location impractical, then the backflow prevention device may be placed further downstream from the meter. However, any piping between the meter and the backflow prevention device must be either exposed or readily accessible for inspection. Double check (D.C.) valves and reduced pressure principle (R.P.) backflow prevention devices shall be installed 12 inches above finished grade.

(2)

A reduced pressure principle assembly shall not be installed upstream of a fire line pump.

(3)

Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed with no plug or additional piping affixed to the pressure differential relief valve port, except for specifically designed funnel apparatus available from the manufacturer, and with the pressure differential relief valve port a minimum of 12 inches above finished grade. Consideration should also be given to the possibility of occasional venting of the relief port. The assembly shall therefore not be installed too close to electrical circuit breaker boxes or any other location where the vented water might cause damage or become a hazard.

(4)

Each backflow assembly shall be installed at a location that allows easy access to the assembly for maintenance, testing and repair. It is the responsibility of the customer to protect the assembly from freezing.

(5)

In all cases, backflow assemblies intended for containment purposes as defined in this article shall be installed before the first branching of the water service line intended to be protected by the assembly.

(6)

No bypass piping shall be allowed around any backflow prevention assembly unless the bypass is equipped with the same level of backflow protection.

(7)

No reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly shall be installed in any box, vault or pit below grade, with or without provisions for drainage. The assembly itself can become a cross connection if the relief port sticks open and the pit becomes flooded.

(8)

No backflow prevention assembly shall be installed bolted flange to flange to a county water meter.

(9)

All double check and reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed in a horizontal orientation unless a different orientation is specifically approved in advance by the director of the water and sewer department.

(h)

Types of facilities. The following types of facilities shall normally require the designated backflow prevention devices. This list is presented as a guideline and should not be construed as being final or complete. Each case will be judged on its own merit.

(a)	Types of Protection:
	(1) R.P. —	Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device
	(2) D.C. —	Double check valve assembly
	(3) V.B. —	Vacuum breaker (type to be designated)

 

(b)	Type of Facility	Type of Protection
	Ice cream and dairy products	D.C.
	Car wash	R.P.
	Chemical plant	R.P.
	Film lab or development	R.P.
	Food or beverage processing plant	D.C.
	Hospitals, clinics, and medical buildings	R.P.
	Laboratories	R.P.
	Laundries or dry cleaners	D.C.
	Machine tool plants (health hazard)	R.P.
	Machine tool plants (no health hazard)	D.C.
	Metal plating plants	R.P.
	Morgues, mortuaries or autopsy facilities	R.P.
	Multistory buildings, non single-family residential	D.C.
	Packing houses	R.P.
	Paper product plants	R.P.
	Pesticide and herbicide exterminations	R.P.
	Petroleum processing plants	R.P.
	Petroleum storage plant or yard (health hazard)	R.P.
	Petroleum storage plant or yard (no health hazard)	D.C.
	Pharmaceutical or cosmetic plants	R.P.
	Piers, docks, or waterfront facilities	R.P.
	Power plants	R.P.
	Radioactive material plants	R.P.
	Sand and gravel plants	D.C.
	Schools with laboratories	D.C.
	Irrigation systems	D.C.
	Irrigation systems (with chemical feed)	R.P.
	Swimming pools	R.P.
	Sewage treatment plants	R.P.
	Sewage pumping stations (health hazard)	R.P.
	Sewage pumping stations (no health hazard)	D.C.
	Sewage pumping stations (outside hose bibs only)	V.B.
	Premises having water recirculating systems and pumps (health hazard)	R.P.
	Premises having water recirculating systems and pumps (no health hazard)	R.P. or D.C.
	Premises having boiler, cooling systems or hot water heating systems where chemical water conditioners are used	R.P.
	Premises having storage tanks, reservoirs, ponds, etc.	R.P.
	Veterinary establishments	R.P.
	Waterfront property with building	D.C.

 

(i)

Premises with fire lines. All premises having a fire line shall have an approved backflow prevention device installed in order to protect the public water supply against backflow. Backflow prevention devices for fire lines shall be equipped with indicator gate valves (OS and Y gate valve) and shall be installed by a state certified fire protection installer. (The type of backflow device for a fire line shall be determined by inspection for type of fire system.)

( Ord. No. 16-16 , § 1, 9-6-16)