Section 1 - General Policy

1.1 Purpose.
The purpose of these Rules and Regulations is:

a. To protect the public water supply system from contamination of pollution by isolating within the consumer's water system contaminants or pollutants which could backflow through the service connection into the public water supply system.

b. To promote the elimination or control of existing cross-connections, actual or potential, between the public or consumer's potable water system and nonpotable water systems, plumbing fixtures, and sources or systems containing process fluids.

c. To provide for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control which will systematically and effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of the public and consumer's potable water system.

1.2 Application.
These Rules and Regulation shall apply to all, premises and connections served by the public water supply system of the Monroeville Municipal Authority.

1.3 Policy.
The Public Water Supplier and the consumer have joint responsibility for the protection of the public water supply system from contamination due to backflow of contaminants through the water service connection. It is the policy of the public water supplier that all consumers shall be required to install and maintain an approved backflow prevention device.

Section 2 - Definitions

2.1 Air Gap Separation - Means the unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet supplying potable water to a tank, plumbing fixture, or other device and the flood level rim of the receptacle. The differential distance shall be at least double the diameter (2 x D) of the supply pipe measured vertically above the top of the rim of the vessel. In no case, shall the air gap be less than one (1) inch.

2.2 Approved - Means that a backflow prevention device or method has been accepted by the Public Water Supplier as suitable for the proposed use.

2.3 Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker - The term "atmospheric vacuum breaker" (also known as the nonpressure type vacuum breaker) shall mean a device containing a shut-off valve followed by a valve body containing a float-check, a check seat, and an air inlet port. When the shut-off valve is open, the flow of water causes the float to close the air inlet port. When the shut-off valve is closed, the float: falls and forms a check valve against: back siphonage and at the same time opens the air inlet: port.

2.4 Auxiliary Water System - Means any water source or system on the premises of or available to the customer except connections to other approved community water supply systems.

2.5 Backflow - Means a flow condition induced by a differential in pressure that causes the flow of water or mixtures of water and other liquids, gases, or other substances into the distribution pipes of a potable water supply system from a source other than its intended source.

2.6 Backflow Preventer - A device or other means which will prevent the backflow of water or liquids of questionable quality into the public water supply system.

2.7 Backsiphonage - Means the backflow of water or mixture of water and other liquids, gases, or other substances from a plumbing fixture or other customer source into a public water supply system main due to a temporary negative or subatmospheric pressure within the public water supply system.

2.8 Consumer - Means the owner or person in control of any premises supplied by or in any manner connected to a public water supply system. Customer and consumer are synonymous.

2.9 Consumer's Water System - Means any water system, located on the consumer's premises, supplied by or in any manner connected to a public water supply system. A household plumbing system is considered to be a consumer's water system.

2.10 Containment - Means cross-connection control which isolates the customer's entire facility from the public water supply system so as to provide the protection necessary to prevent contamination of the public water supply in the event of backflow from the customer's facility.

2.11 Contamination - Means the degradation of the quality of the drinking water by wastewaters, processed fluids, or any water of a quality less than accepted drinking water quality to a degree which would create an actual hazard to the public health through poisoning or through the spread of disease.

2.12 Cross-Connection - An arrangement allowing either a direct or indirect connection through which backflow, including backsiphonage, can occur between the drinking water in a public water system and a system containing a source or potential source of contamination.

2.13 Degree of Hazard - Means an evaluation of the potential risk to health and the adverse effect upon the public water supply system.

2.14 Double Check Valve Assembly - Means an assembly composed of two single, independently acting, check valves including tightly closing shut-off valves located at each check valve.

2.15 Health Hazard - Means any condition, device, or practice in a water system or its operation that creates, or may create, a danger to the health and well being of its users. The word "severe" as used to qualify "health hazard" means a hazard to the health of the user that could reasonably be expected to result in the significant morbidity or death.

2.16 Interchangeable Connection - Means an arrangement or device that will allow alternate but not simultaneous use of two sources of water.

2.17 Nonpotable Water - Means water not safe for drinking, personal, or culinary use.

2.18 Person - Any individual, partnership, association, company, corporation, municipality, municipal authority, political subdivision or any agency of federal or state government. The term includes the officers, employees, and agents of any partnership, association, company, corporation, municipality, municipal authority, political subdivision, or any agency of federal or state government.

2.19 Pollution - Means the presence in water of any foreign substance that tends to degrade its quality so as to constitute a hazard or impair the usefulness or quality of the water to a degree which does not create an actual hazard to the public health but which does adversely and unreasonably affect such waters for domestic use.

2.20 Potable Water - Means water which is satisfactory for drinking, culinary, and domestic purposes and meets the requirements of the Department of Environmental Resources.

2.21 Process Fluids - Means any fluid or solution which may be chemically, biologically, or otherwise contaminated or polluted in a form or concentration such as would constitute a health, pollutional, or system hazard if introduced into the public or a consumer's water system. This includes, but is not limited to:

a. Polluted or contaminated waters.
b. Process waters.
c. Used waters originating from the public water system which may have deteriorated in sanitary quality.
d. Cooling waters.
e. Contaminated natural waters taken from wells lakes, streams, or irrigation systems.
f. Chemicals in solution or suspension.
g. Oils, gases, acids, alkalis, and other liquid and gaseous fluids used in industrial or other processes, or for fire fighting purposes.
h. Heating system waters from boilers or heat pumps.

2.22 Public Water Supplier - A person who owns or operates a public water system. For the purpose of these Rules and Regulations, Public Water Supplier shall mean The Monroeville Municipal Authority.

2.23 Public Water Supply System - A system which provides water to the public for human consumption which has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves an average of at least 25 individuals daily at least 60 days out of the year. The term is either a community or non-community water system and includes any collection, treatment, storage, and distribution facilities under control of the operator of the system and used in connection with the system. The term includes collection or pretreatment storage facilities not under such control which are used in connection with the system. The term also includes a system which provides water for bottling or bulk hauling for human consumption.

2.24 Reduced Pressure Zone (RPZ) Device - Means a minimum of two independently acting check valves, together with an automatically operated pressure differential relief valve located between the two check valves. During normal flow and at the cessation of normal flow, the pressure between these two checks shall be less than the supply pressure. In case of leakage of either check valve, the differential relief valve by discharging to the atmosphere shall operate to maintain the pressure between the checks at less than the supply pressure. The unit must include tightly closing shut-off valves located at each end of the device, and each device shall be fitted with properly located test cocks.

2.25 Service Connection - Means the terminal end of a service line from the public water supply system. If a meter is installed at the end of the service, then the service connection means the downstream end of the meter.

2.26 System Hazard - Means a condition posing an actual or potential threat of damage to the physical properties of the public water system or the consumer's potable water system.

Section 3 -Water System