Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3745 - Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Chapter 3745-95 - Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control
Section 3745-95-03 - Surveys and investigations
Universal Citation: OH Admin Code 3745-95-03
Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Initial assessment.
(1)
The supplier of water shall conduct or cause to be conducted
an initial assessment of water use practices within a consumer's premises to
determine whether there are actual or potential cross-connections that, in the
judgment of the supplier of water, may cause a pollutional, system, health or
severe health hazard to the public water system. The initial assessment should
include a combination of review of any plans, inspection records, regulatory
permitting documentation or survey questionnaire, related to water use
practices and backflow prevention needs, and onsite investigations. At a
minimum, a survey questionnaire of water use practices shall be completed and
documented. For premises identified under paragraph (B)(5) of rule
3745-95-04
of the Administrative Code, and those identified to have an actual or potential
hazard during the survey process, an onsite investigation and documentation of
the investigation, is required.
(2)
For strictly
residential premises, an initial assessment is not required for each premises
provided the supplier of water has an alternate ongoing methodology to identify
changes in water use practices that may represent a new, previously
unidentified, or increased hazard to the public water system. Methods may
include review of residential building plans, visiting distribution service
areas for visual inspection of possible hazards, flagging new businesses at
residential addresses, and those established under paragraph (B)(2) of this
rule.
(B) Periodic investigations and surveys.
(1)
The supplier of
water shall conduct or cause to be conducted periodic on-site investigation of
all premises at least every five years to identify changes in water use
practices so that new, previously unidentified, or increased hazards to the
public water system are identified and mitigated. For noncommunity public water
systems that have a residential population, provisions of paragraph (B)(3) of
this rule may be used, as applicable, for the residential
population.
(2)
In lieu of conducting an on-site investigation at each
premises, the supplier of water for all community public water system may
document, in writing, an alternate, on-going, methodology to identify changes
in water use practices that may represent a new, previously unidentified, or
increased hazard to the public water system. At a minimum, a water use survey
questionnaire must be used to document the evaluation of each premises. An
on-site investigation is required when a potential new or increased hazard is
suspected to confirm the degree of risk and how the hazard will be
addressed.
(a)
Information obtained through a water use survey
questionnaire or in coordination with the local building, zoning, health, fire
protection and other licensing agencies may be used as an indicator of when an
on-site investigation should be conducted.
(b)
Other triggers, a
request to the supplier of water for a new or additional service line, or an
additional or larger meter warrants a survey or onsite investigation. Failure
to adequately respond to the water use survey questionnaire should warrant an
on-site investigation.
(3)
In lieu of
conducting an on-site investigation at each residential premises, the supplier
of water may institute an on-going educational campaign to inform consumers of
common backflow hazards created during residential water use and provide a
reporting mechanism for suspected cross-connections.
(a)
An educational
campaign may use local media and advertising resources, but must also include
information directly delivered, either electronically or hard copy, to each
residential service connection. Information must be delivered
annually.
(b)
If providing backflow prevention education
electronically, whether through the annual consumer confidence report or
otherwise, a direct website link must be provided and clearly identified in
such a manner that consumers understand information in the link provides
education on backflow prevention and cross connection control.
(c)
Residential
premises identified to have water use practices that represent an actual or
potential hazard to the public water system must have periodic on-site
investigations at least every five years or be addressed by an alternate
on-going methodology that identifies changes in water use
practices.
(C) Additional supplier of water and consumer responsibilities.
(1)
Provisions are in
place to maintain the right of the supplier or the supplier's authorized
representative to enter premises served by the public water system at all
reasonable times for the purpose of making surveys and investigations of water
use practices within the premises to ensure compliance with this
chapter.
(2)
On request by the supplier of water, or the supplier's
authorized representative, provisions are in place to require that the consumer
provides information on water use practices within the consumer's
premises.
(3)
Suspected cross-connections are investigated, records
of the investigations are maintained in accordance with rule
3745-95-06
of the Administrative Code and made available to the agency upon
request.
(4)
Paragraphs (A) and (B) of this rule does not relieve
the consumer of the responsibility for conducting, or causing to be conducted,
periodic surveys and investigations of water use practices on the consumer's
premises to determine whether there are actual or potential cross-connections
in the consumer's water system through which contaminants or pollutants could
backflow into a public water system or a consumer's potable water system.
Replaces: 3745-95-03
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Ohio may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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