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When used in this chapter, the following words and/or phrases shall have the meanings set forth in this section:

“Applicant” means a person applying for water service under this chapter.

“Approved” means accepted by the director of public works as meeting an applicable specification stated or cited in this code or as suitable for the proposed use.

“Auxiliary water supply” means any water supply on or available to the premises other than the purveyor’s approved public water system. These auxiliary water supplies may include water from another purveyor’s public water system or any natural source(s) such as well, spring, river, stream, harbor, etc., or “used waters” or “industrial fluids.” These auxiliary water supplies may be polluted or contaminated or they may be objectionable and constitute an unacceptable water source over which the water purveyor does not have sanitary control.

“Backflow” means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances under pressure into the distributing pipes of a potable water supply system from any source or sources other than its intended source.

“Backflow preventer” means a device, assembly or means designed to prevent backflow. These devices or assemblies are described below:

1. “Air gap” means a physical separation between the free-flowing discharge end of a potable water supply pipeline and an open or non-pressure-receiving vessel. An “approved air gap separation” shall be at least double the diameter of the supply pipe measured vertically above the top of the rim of the vessel. In no case shall it be less than one inch. When an air gap is used at the service connection to prevent the contamination or pollution of the public water system, an emergency bypass shall be installed around the air gap system and an approved reduced pressure principle assembly shall be installed in the bypass system.

2. “Approved backflow prevention device” must include isolation valves and test cocks to facilitate in-line testing and repair. The assembly must appear on a current approval list from the American Society of Sanitary Engineering or on an approval list from the Foundation of Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research at the University of Southern California.

3. “Atmospheric vacuum breaker” means an anti-siphon backflow prevention device that incorporates an air inlet to prevent backflow by backsiphonage. Designed to protect against high and low hazards during a backsiphonage condition only. Sometimes includes a shut-off valve on the upstream side only.

4. “Double check valve” means a compact unit manufactured with two independent spring actuated check valves.

5. “Double check valve assembly” means an assembly composed of two single, independently acting, check valves, including tightly closing shut-off valves located at each end of the assembly and suitable connections for testing the water tightness of each check valve, plus properly located test cocks for the testing of each check valve. A check valve is a valve that is drip-tight in the normal direction of flow when the inlet pressure is one psi and the outlet pressure is zero. The check valve shall permit no leakage in a direction reverse to the normal flow. The closure element shall be internally weighted or otherwise internally loaded to promote rapid and positive closure. The entire assembly shall meet the design and performance specifications of a recognized testing agency for backflow prevention assemblies. To be approved, these assemblies must be readily accessible for in-line maintenance and testing.

6. “Hose bibb vacuum breaker” means a device which is permanently attached to a hose bibb and which acts as an atmospheric vacuum breaker.

7. “Pressure vacuum breaker” means an assembly containing one independently operated internally loaded check valve and an independently operated internally loaded air inlet valve located on the discharge side of the check. Assembly includes tightly closing shut-off valves on the inlet and outlet sides of the assembly and properly located test cocks.

8. “Reduced pressure principle assembly” means a device containing within its structure a minimum of two independently acting approved check valves, together with an automatically operating pressure differential relief valve located between the two check valves. The first check valve reduces the supply pressure a predetermined amount so that during normal flow and at cessation of normal flow the pressure between the 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 less than the supply pressure. The unit shall include tightly closing shut-off valves located at each end of the device, and each device shall be fitted with properly located test cocks. The entire assembly shall meet the design and performance specifications of a recognized testing agency for backflow prevention assemblies. To be approved, these assemblies must be readily accessible for in-line maintenance and testing and be installed in a location where no part of the assembly will be submerged.

9. “Spill resistant pressure vacuum breaker” means an assembly designed to prevent backsiphonage that can be used under continuous pressure; the assembly includes an independently operating spring loaded check valve and an independently loaded air inlet valve located on the discharge side of the check with shut-off valves located on the inlet and outlet side of the assembly, a resilient seated test cock located downstream of the number one shut-off valve and upstream of the check valve with a properly located air vent above the check valve and below the air inlet valve.

“Backflow prevention assembly” means a mechanical backflow preventer used to prevent the backward flow of contaminants or pollutants into a potable water distribution system. An assembly has a resilient seated, full-flow shut-off valve before and after the backflow preventer, making it testable in-line. The assembly is shipped with the shut-off valves attached to the backflow preventer. An assembly is labeled with the manufacturer’s symbol, size, serial number, model number, the working pressure, and the direction of flow. The Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research at the University of Southern California tests and approves backflow prevention assemblies.

“Backflow prevention device” means a type of backflow protection, usually mechanical, that does not require shut-off valves and test cocks. Any backflow prevention assembly without the shut-off valves is called a device. The American Society of Sanitary Engineers approves backflow prevention devices.

“Backpressure” means a pressure, higher than the supply pressure, caused by a pump, elevated tank, boiler, or any other means that may cause backflow.

“Backsiphonage” means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances into the distributing pipes of a potable water supply system from any other source other than its intended source, caused by the sudden reduction of pressure in the potable water supply system.

“Business hours” means from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on a business day.

“Contamination” means an impairment of the quality of the potable water by sewage, industrial fluids or waste liquids, compounds or other materials to a degree which creates an actual hazard to the public health through poisoning or through the spread of disease.

“Cross-connection” means any physical connection or arrangement of piping or fixtures between two otherwise separate piping systems one of which contains potable water and the other nonpotable water or industrial fluids of questionable safety, through which, or because of which, backflow by backpressure or backsiphonage may occur into the potable water system. A water service connection between a public water system and a customer’s water distribution system which is cross-connection to a contaminated fixture, industrial fluid system or with a potentially contaminated supply or auxiliary water system constitutes one type of cross-connection. Other types of cross-connections include connectors such as swing connections, removable sections, four-way valves, spools, dummy sections of pipe, swivel or change-over devices, sliding multi-port tubes, solid connections, etc.

“Cross-connection control by containment” means the installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly at the water service connection to any customer’s premises where it is physically and economically infeasible to find and permanently eliminate or control all actual or potential cross-connections within the customer’s water system; or it shall mean the installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly on the service line leading to and supplying a portion of a customer’s water system where there are actual or potential cross-connections which cannot be effectively eliminated or controlled at the point of cross-connection.

“Cross-connections-controlled” means a connection between a potable water system and a nonpotable water system with an approved backflow prevention assembly properly installed that will continuously afford the protection commensurate with the degree of hazard.

“Customer” means an applicant whose application has been accepted by the city.

“Director of public works” means the director or their designee in charge of the water department with the authority and responsibility for the implementation of an effective cross-connection control program and for the enforcement of the provisions of this code.

“Failed system” means an on-site water supply system whose well requires re-drilling or replacement; or has been condemned or declared unusable or failed by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

Hazard, Degree of. The term is derived from an evaluation of the potential risk to public health and the adverse affect of the hazard upon the potable water system.

“Hazard, health” means any condition, device or practice in the water supply system and its operation which could create, or in the judgment of the director of public works may create, a danger to the health and well-being of the water consumer. An example of a health hazard is a structural defect, including cross-connection, in a water supply system.

“Hazard, plumbing” means a plumbing type cross-connection in the potable water system which would constitute a nuisance or be aesthetically objectionable or could cause damage to the system or its appurtenances, but would not be dangerous to health.

“Hazard, pollutional” means an actual or potential threat to the physical properties of the potable water system which would constitute a nuisance or be aesthetically objectionable or could cause damage to the system or its appurtenances, but would not be dangerous to health.

“Hazard, system” means an actual or potential threat of severe damage to the physical properties of the potable water system or of a pollution or contamination which would have a protracted effect on the quality of the potable water in the system.

“Industrial fluids system” means any system containing a fluid or solution which may be chemically, biologically or otherwise contaminated or polluted in a form or concentration such as would constitute a health, pollution or plumbing hazard when introduced into an approved water supply. This may include, but not be limited to: polluted or contaminated waters; all types of process waters and “used waters” originating from the public potable water system which may have deteriorated in sanitary quality; chemicals in fluid form; plating acids and alkalies; circulated cooling water connected to an open cooling tower and/or cooling towers that are chemically or biologically treated or stabilized with toxic substances; contaminated natural water such as from wells, springs, streams, rivers, bays, harbors, seas, irrigation canals or systems; oils, gases, glycerin, paraffins, caustic and acid solutions and other liquids and gaseous fluids used in industrial or other purposes or for firefighting purposes.

“Isolation” means fixture isolation and area or zone isolation. Isolation at a fixture means installing an approved backflow preventer at the source of the potential contamination. Isolation at an area or zone is confining the potential source of contamination within a specific area. Isolation may be appropriate with or without containment depending on whether the conditions create a health or nonhealth hazard.

“PILA” means payment in lieu of assessment, a charge levied to allow property owners outside of an assessment area to participate in water system construction costs.

“Pollution” means the presence of any foreign substance organic, inorganic or biological in water which 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.

“Water connection” means that part of the water distribution system connecting the water main with the property line of the property being furnished the water service or with the property line of the nearest property abutting the water main if the water connection must first cross this abutting property to reach the property being served, or to the control valve where a keybox is unnecessary.

“Water extension” means that part of the water distribution system extending from the water connection into the premises served.

“Water main” means that part of the water distribution system intended to serve more than one water connection.

“Water, nonpotable” means water which is not safe for human consumption or which is of questionable potability.

“Water, potable” means any water which, according to recognized standards, is safe for human consumption.

“Water purveyor” means the owner or operator of the public water system supplying an approved water supply to the public. As used herein, the terms “water purveyor” and “city of Wasilla water utility” may be used synonymously.

“Water service connection” means the terminal end of a service connection from the public water system where the water purveyor loses jurisdiction and sanitary control over the water at its point of delivery to the customer’s water system, typically at the property line and/or water service keybox. If a meter is installed at the end of the service connection, then the service connection shall mean the downstream end of the meter for the purpose of cross-connection control. There should be no unprotected takeoffs from the service line ahead of any meter or back-flow prevention assembly located at the point of delivery to the customer’s water system. Service connection shall also include water service connection from a fire hydrant and all other temporary or emergency water service connections from the public water system.

“Water, used” means any water supplied by a water purveyor from a public water system to a consumer’s water system after it has passed through the point of delivery and is no longer under the sanitary control of the water purveyor. (Ord. 09-31 § 2, 2009; Ord. 08-29 § 16, 2008; Ord. 03-18(AM) § 2, 2003; prior code § 5.10.010)