§ 27-213. Cross-connection control program.

The following cross-connection control program is hereby adopted to implement this division:

(1)

Program intent. The intent of the parish cross-connection control program is to implement the regulations, ordinances and procedures as outlined herein with full cooperation of all related departments, namely the state department of health, parish department of water, and plumbing section of the department of inspection and code enforcement, together with related agencies of the parish, state, and federal governments. To achieve this end, a committee of not less than one (1) qualified member of the state health department, parish department of water, and department of inspection and code enforcement is hereby established.

(2)

Responsibility. The responsibilities of each department will be herein outlined as well as the basic procedure for ensuring their proper functioning to carry out a properly coordinated program to prevent pollution or contamination of potable water supplies by cross-connections within the parish.

a.

Responsibility of state health department. The state department of health has the responsibility to ensure that the parish department of water operates the public potable water supply system so as to provide an approved water supply at the point of delivery to the consumer's water system. The director of the state department of health shall appoint a duly authorized representative on the cross-connection liaison committee and who will assist the department of inspection and code enforcement together with the department of water in the implementation of the cross-connection control program.

b.

Responsibility of the department of water. The department of water has the responsibility to ensure that its operations are so conducted in order to supply potable water to the point of delivery to the consumer's water system.

c.

Responsibility of department of inspection and code enforcement. The plumbing inspection section of the department of inspection and code enforcement has the responsibility to ensure the proper installation of a consumer's building, including the connection line to the public potable water supply. The section is responsible for making competent inspections of and enforcing the codes regarding proper installation of approved backflow prevention devices as outlined herein on both new and existing facilities. The director of inspection and code enforcement shall establish a cross-connection control group within the plumbing inspection section of the building inspection division, department of inspection and code enforcement, for the purpose of implementation of this program. The chief plumbing inspector or his duly authorized representative will be the secretary of the cross-connection liaison committee. It shall be the responsibility of the chief plumbing inspector to ensure that proper records are maintained on installations, when an airgap or backflow preventer device is required for the protection of the public potable water system, and to insure that the consumer, at his expense, be required to properly install, test, maintain, repair or replace this device.

d.

Consumer or customer. The consumer of the parish public potable water supply has the primary responsibility for preventing pollutants and contaminants from entering his potable water system or the public potable water systems.

(3)

Procedures. All procedures are fully outlined below and variations from these procedures will be allowed only by supervisory approval from the department responsible for that phase of operation.

a.

Existing facilities:

1.

Selection of existing installations for investigations:

i.

Selection of existing installations for investigation shall be made solely on the basis of "suspected hazard." These fields for investigation are taken from a list prepared by representatives from all concerned departments.

ii.

List of suspected high hazard installations: The following general fields of installations will be investigated in the order of their listing:

Funeral homes;
Hospitals (clinics, etc.);
Plating and chemical companies;
Labs (industrial and medical);
Packing houses;
Manufacturing plants.

iii.

List of suspected low hazards:

Schools with lab;
Nursing and convalescent homes;
Hotels and motels;
Car washes and service stations;
Laundry and cleaners;
Restaurants and food handlers;
Major office buildings;
Apartment houses (high rise over thirty-six (36) feet high).

2.

Appointments. In most cases attempts will be made to secure an appointment with a representative of the building owner. Appointments will be made or approved by the crossconnection control supervisor and will be made by mutual agreement of consumer and parish.

3.

Survey. All surveys or investigations will be made in the following manner:

i.

The inspectors. An inspector from the cross-connection control group will contact the consumer in person at the appointed time. He will briefly explain the objective of the survey and will ask the consumer or his appointed agent to accompany him during his tour of the consumer's facilities.

ii.

Discussion with consumer. Any physical or seriously potential crossconnections that are discovered will be pointed out to the consumer and explained. The inspector will also point out plumbing problems that might result in poor pressure and/or wastage of water and will attempt to offer suggestions for improvement of these problems.

iii.

Forms. When cross-connections are found to exist a written notice will be filled out in triplicate by the inspector. He will make every effort to be sure that the information entered on the form is accurate and complete, and will state on the notice how the hazards are to be corrected. Upon completion of the survey, the inspector will sign the notice and will request the consumer's signature also.

iv.

Records. The top (original) copy of the notice will be given to the consumer upon completion of the survey. The second copy is returned to the supervisor of crossconnection control. The third copy will be retained by the inspector in the notice book. When the case is closed, the second copy with all appropriate notations will be permanently filed and the third copy will be destroyed.

4.

Committee action. When unusual circumstances are encountered by the cross-connection section, that are not in line with established policies, they shall be brought before the crossconnection liaison committee for a discussion. The committee shall meet whenever necessary to review policies and to establish new policies to guide the program.

5.

Notification and follow-up the department of inspection and code enforcement. A letter of notification to the property owner, including references to related ordinances and information as to what corrective measures are necessary, time limits, etc., shall be written and signed by the chief of the plumbing inspection division when necessary for follow-up. Subsequent follow-up letters will also be written whenever necessary to secure compliance. In case of noncompliance, when discontinuance of water service is necessary, a written request will be made to the water department to the attention of the director, through the director of inspection and code enforcement. The water department will then handle the actual discontinuance.

6.

Permits, installation and inspection. After the owner receives written notification, it becomes his responsibility to correct the situation or install the appropriate device. A licensed plumber shall secure a permit from the plumbing inspection division in accordance with the parish plumbing code. An inspector from the plumbing inspection division will inspect and approve or disapprove the completed installation or testing procedure. The cross-connection control supervisor shall at regular intervals send a report of the activities of the section to all members of the cross-connection committee.

7.

Records and tests. Upon receipt of notice from the plumbing inspector, a permanent record file is set up in cross-connection control group. In order to ensure that backflow preventer devices continue to operate satisfactorily, it will be necessary that they be periodically tested. Such tests will be conducted in accordance with manufacturer's performance standards and test procedures.

8.

Emergency procedures. If any employee of the parish should discover a hazardous situation where contaminants are actually in the process or suspected of entering the distribution system of the department of water, he is authorized to take such immediate steps as necessary to stop backflow. He is further responsible for contacting the water department without delay and notifying the supervisor of distribution of the need for flushing the contaminants out of the system. If discontinuance of service is required, the matter shall be brought to the attention of the director of inspection and code enforcement and the office of the director of water.

b.

New facilities.

1.

Checking of plans of new installations. All building plans submitted to the parish will be checked for conformance with plumbing codes by the plumbing inspection division and department of inspection and code enforcement.

2.

Stamping of requirements on plans. After plans are checked, they will be stamped by the department of inspection and code enforcement as to kind and location of device required as follows:

i.

Approved reduced pressure principle backflow preventer required on incoming water line;

ii.

Approved double check assembly back preventer required on incoming water line;

iii.

Backflow prevention device not required at this time, subject to reinspection and possible requirements at later date.

3.

Permits, installations and inspections. The plumbing contractor will secure a plumbing permit from the plumbing inspection division in accordance with the parish plumbing code. In conjunction with his inspection of all the plumbing in the new building, a plumbing inspector will inspect and approve or disapprove the completed backflow preventer installation. After approval, in accordance with plumbing codes and cross-connection control rules and regulations, a report from the plumbing inspector will be sent to cross-connection control section. This report will state kind, size, location and any other pertinent details of the installation.

4.

Records and tests. Upon receipt of notice from the plumbing inspector, a permanent record file is set up in the cross-connection control group. In order to ensure that backflow prevention devices continue to operate satisfactorily, it will be necessary that they be periodically tested. Such test will be conducted in accordance with manufacturer's performance standards and test procedures, in the presence of an inspector from the plumbing section of the department of inspection and code enforcement crossconnection control group. An inspection receipt will be given to the licensed plumber requesting inspection, upon completion of inspection. Inspectors assigned to the cross-connection control group will conduct the tests. All such periodic testing shall be at the customer's expense.

5.

Cost of inspection. Cost of test inspection will be ten dollars ($10.00) per device three-fourths-inch through three-inch, twenty dollars ($20.00) per device four (4) inches and up.

(4)

Definitions:

Air gap in a plumbing or water supply system is the unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere from the lowest opening of any pipe or faucet to the flood level rim of a tank, plumbing fixture or receptacle.

Approved shall mean approved by the chief plumbing inspector as acceptable under the standards of this section.

Approved backflow prevention device means a device that has been investigated and approved by the parish. The approval of backflow prevention devices by the parish will be on the basis of performance tests conducted by the cross-connection control group and on the basis of trouble-free performance of existing installations.

Backflow means the flow of water or other liquids into the distributing pipes of a potable supply of water from any source or sources other than its intended source.

Backflow prevention device is a device for installation in water supply pipe to prevent backflow of water into the water supply system.

Backsiphonage is the flowing back of used, contaminated or polluted water from a plumbing fixture or vessel into a water supply pipe due to a negative pressure in such pipe.

Committee is the committee on cross-connection control, made up of representatives from the state department of health, parish department of water, and department of inspection and code enforcement.

Consumer means any owner or operator of any private plumbing system having service from the department of water.

Contamination means an impairment of the quality of the water by sewage or industrial fluids or waste to a degree which creates an actual hazard to the public health through poisoning or the spread of disease.

Cross-connection means a physical connection, arrangement or condition by or through which a supply of potable water could be contaminated, polluted or infected.

Degree of hazard means a measure of the potential danger to the public. Degree shall be set by the opinion of the committee into the following categories:

1.

Toxic: That which may cause death or spread a disease, or may cause discomfort to other consumers and the department of water.

2.

Inconvenience: That backflow or backsiphonage which does not contaminate or change the quality of water in the public water supply system, but might cause inconvenience to other consumers or the department of water.

In-plant survey means a survey or investigation or inspection of the plumbing system in a plant, building or installation.

Water, potable means water from any source which has been investigated by the state department of health and which has been approved for human consumption.

Water system, public, potable means that which is owned and operated by the department of water.

(5)

Cross-connections and storage tanks:

a.

The definition of a cross-connection, as based upon the U. S. Department of Health, Education and Public Welfare's Public Health Service, is any physical connection or arrangement of pipes between two (2) otherwise separate water supply systems, one (1) of which contains potable water and the other water of unknown or questionable safety, whereby water may flow from one (1) system to the other, the direction of flow depending on pressure differential between the two (2) systems.

b.

No cross-connection shall be permitted to be made between any system of piping supplied by water from the mains of the department of water and any other source of supply, either public or private; or any secondary supplies known to be unsafe for drinking water, such as shallow wells, reused industrial supplies, raw surface water or swimming pools.

c.

Where parish water is used as an auxiliary supply to a roof or suction tank, which is also supplied by water from any other source, such tank shall not be of the pressure type but open. The delivery of parish water shall be above the tank flow line and controlled by some type of automatic valve.

d.

It shall be unlawful, also, to maintain storage tanks supplied only with parish water unless the tanks are satisfactorily built, and covered so as to prevent the entrance of contamination, They shall also be subject to periodical inspection by the waterworks department and maintained in a manner wholly satisfactory to the standards and requirements of the state department of health. Pumps taking suction from the parish supply, serving such building storage, shall be installed or operated only upon permit from the department of water subject to their approval as to size, capacity and valving arrangements.

e.

It shall be unlawful for anyone to interconnect private supplies, including deep well systems, with the department of water system except as hereinafter provided:

1.

Correction and maintenance, in a manner satisfactory to the state department of health and department of water of the parish, of all existing sanitary defects in and around the private supply system;

2.

Provision to be made for complete bacteriological analysis by the department of water of the supply involved, in accordance with the standard methods of water analysis of the American Public Health Association. This requirement means not less than four (4) analyses each month of two (2) standard samples, or more often, if the analyses warrant;

3.

Provision by the owner of the private system involved to pay an equitable pro rata part of the cost of all inspections and testing herein required. The rates and method of paying for the same shall be determined by the department of water subject to the approval of the director of water.

f.

Should any system supplied by parish water be operated in violation of any provision of this article, it shall be the duty of the department of water to completely disconnect all service lines serving such system until this section is properly complied with. Any cost of such disconnection and the estimated cost of reconnection must be paid by the consumer before service shall be restored.

(Code 1961, § 17-117; Ord. No. 17175, § 7, 2-18-87)