(a) Compliance with the provisions of this article shall be a condition of receiving or to continue receiving the district’s water supply. It is unlawful for any person to allow any contaminants or pollutants to backflow from their facility and/or property into the district distribution system.

(b) All domestic connections, except for residential customer class connections, shall require the installation of an approved RPBA at the service connection or alternate location as approved by the district. The RPBA shall be installed, inspected and tested in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(c) All multifamily customer class connections shall require, at a minimum, the installation of an RPBA at the service connection or alternate location as approved by the district. The RPBA shall be installed, inspected, and tested in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(d) Dedicated or common supply fire service lines for single-family residential structures shall have, at a minimum, a DCVA at the service connection or an alternate exterior location as approved by the district. Flow through fire service lines may not be required to incorporate a backflow assembly if reviewed and approved by the district.

(e) Commercial fire service connections shall be equipped with either an RPBA or RPDA depending upon service size unless otherwise approved by the district. In cases where an appropriately sized RPDA is unavailable, an RPBA shall be installed upstream of the fire system components. Fire protection systems which serve both residential and commercial buildings from the same service connection shall require an RPDA or RPBA. All backflow and detector-check assemblies shall be installed, inspected, and tested in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(f) All temporary construction or hydrant meter connections shall require, at a minimum, the installation of an RPBA at the connection point unless otherwise approved by the district. The RPBA shall be installed, inspected, and tested in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(g) All irrigation services, other than single-family (private) systems, shall be a dedicated and metered connection to the water main. A minimum of a DCVA shall be installed at the service connection. Any irrigation system, including single-family, that uses chemical injection of any kind shall be isolated from the district’s water system by an approved RPBA at the service connection (no exceptions). All backflow installations shall be installed, inspected, and tested in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(h) Single-family residences having hard plumbed irrigation systems shall apply one of the following means of backflow protection to protect the district’s water supply: DCVA, AVB, PVBA, or SVBA, as appropriate to system design. Protection shall be installed, inspected, and tested in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(i) Backflow protection shall be evaluated and installed as required by the district CCS on buildings with an internal pressure booster pump or where water piping exceeds 30 feet above the finished grade.

(j) The district requires that the public water supply be protected from contamination from cross connections. The owner shall be responsible for water quality beyond the district service meter. This responsibility includes proper installation, annual testing and maintenance of required backflow assemblies as provided in this article. Fixture isolation assemblies shall be installed in accordance with the UPC and/or AHJ as a condition of service.

(a) For premises existing prior to the start of this program, the district will perform evaluations and inspections of plans and/or premises and inform the owner by letter of any corrective action deemed necessary, the method of achieving the correction and the time allowed for the correction to be made. A maximum of 90 days will be allowed; however, this time period may be adjusted by the district CCS depending upon all reasonable factors including but not limited to the performance history of the backflow assembly and the degree of hazard involved.

(b) Premises are subject to inspection on or after the expiration date of required action to correct a cross connection. Water service to premises that fail to comply with the district’s request shall receive three written notices via regular mail that water service to the premises will be terminated within a period not to exceed a total of 90 calendar days. In the event the owner informs the district of extenuating circumstances as to why the correction has not been completed, the district may grant a time extension up to but not exceeding an additional 30 days.

(c) Monetary penalties in accordance with Chapter 9.05 SLWSDC may be imposed by the district beginning on the second written notice of noncompliance.

(d) If the district determines at any time that a serious threat to the public health exists, the water service may be terminated immediately; provided, however, that notice will be posted on the premises affected at the time said service is terminated and the proper AHJ is notified of the action.

(e) Inspection may be done during the initial installation and during on-site reviews of existing installations.

(a) An access agreement shall be recorded with the Snohomish County auditor’s office and provided to the district for access to all backflow assemblies inside of a building(s) that are required to protect the public potable water supply from possible contamination.

(b) When a test identifies a backflow assembly is not properly functioning, the owner shall correct the malfunction and have the assembly inspected and retested or replaced until proper backflow protection is restored.

(c) The owner shall be responsible for the elimination or protection of all cross connections on their premises.

(d) The owner after notification by the district shall, at their expense, install any and all required backflow assemblies.

(e) The owner shall, at their expense, be responsible for having all backflow assemblies tested:

(f) The owner shall immediately notify the district CCS of any malfunction of the approved backflow assembly that is revealed by periodic testing. The required repair or replacement of said assembly(ies) shall be completed within 30 days.

(g) The owner shall inform the district of any proposed modifications to their plumbing that creates a possible cross connection and also any existing cross connections of which the owner has actual knowledge but have not been found by the district.

(h) The owner shall install only backflow prevention assemblies from the current list of approved assemblies from the USC/FCCCHR as it exists now or as hereafter changed, modified, amended, reenacted or recodified.

(i) Unless otherwise approved by the district, any owner having a private well or other auxiliary water source desiring to connect to the district’s water supply shall decommission the well per WAC 173-160-381 as it exists now or as hereafter changed, modified, amended, reenacted or recodified. If an auxiliary water supply is approved by the district, an RPBA shall be installed at the service connection.

(j) The owner shall provide district personnel access to premises for cross connection inspection at the district’s request. Failure to provide access to inspect facilities shall be grounds for termination of water service and/or installation of appropriate backflow assembly behind the meter by district crews at the owner’s expense. [Res. 835 § 3 (Exh. 3), 2022; Res. 735 § 1, 2017.]