Current through Register Vol. 24-06, March 15, 2024
(1)
Applicability, purpose, and responsibility.
Reclaimed water generators, distributors, users, and potable
water purveyors must take action to eliminate or prevent cross-connection
between water supplies.
(2)
Group A water systems, as defined in WAC
246-290-020, are responsible for
protecting their potable water distribution system from cross-connections with
lower quality water supplies, such as Class A and Class B reclaimed
water.
(3) Reclaimed water
generators and distributors are responsible for protecting reclaimed water and
partially treated reclaimed water from contamination via cross-connection with
lower quality water supplies and preventing water under their control from
contaminating potable water, starting in the generation facility, including all
treatment stages, storage, and distribution facilities, and ending at the point
of delivery to the user's reclaimed water meter at the property line of the use
area.
(a) Distributors must provide the
potable water purveyor, if any, written notification prior to providing
reclaimed water service to any property within the purveyor's service area so
the purveyor can ensure users comply with the cross-connection control
requirements under WAC
246-290-490 and any locally
adopted regulations.
(b) Generators
must notify their potable water purveyor of the proposed and ongoing reclaimed
water treatment activity and facility location and comply with the purveyor's
cross-connection control requirements under WAC
246-290-490 and any locally
adopted regulations.
(c) Reclaimed
water generators and distributors must not provide reclaimed water to any user
before the user has installed and tested the correct backflow prevention
assembly on the potable supply line, and the potable water purveyor verifies
it.
(d) Under the provisions of
this section, generators and distributors are not responsible for eliminating
or controlling cross-connections on the end user's property.
(4) General program requirements.
The reclaimed water generator and distributor must develop and implement a
written cross-connection control program that meets the requirements of this
section for the portions of reclaimed water treatment, storage, and delivery
under their control. They must:
(a) Use good
engineering practices in the development and implementation of cross-connection
control programs. Guidance publications and references such as, but not limited
to, the most recent edition of the following, may be used for cross-connection
program development and implementation:
(i)
Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research, University of
Southern California, Manual of Cross-Connection
Control.
(ii) Washington
state department of ecology Criteria for Sewage Works
Design.
(iii) Washington
state department of ecology Reclaimed Water Facilities
Manual.
(iv) Pacific
Northwest Section of the American Water Works Association
Cross-Connection Control Manual, Accepted Procedure and
Practice.
(b)
Provide a certified cross-connection control specialist (CCS) to review all
plans, engineering reports, and operation and maintenance manuals to ensure
compliance with cross-connection control requirements before documents are
submitted to the lead agency for review.
(c) The generator must document
cross-connection prevention responsibilities of the generator, distributor, and
potable water purveyor at all generation and distribution facilities in the
reclaimed water engineering plan, cross-connection control program, and
operation and maintenance manual.
(d) Include the requirement that
cross-connections between the reclaimed water and lower quality water are
eliminated, or controlled by the installation of approved backflow prevention
assemblies.
(e) Ensure that the CCS
determines and documents the appropriate method of backflow protection to
eliminate or control cross-connections in the reclaimed water facility and
distribution system.
(f) Take
appropriate corrective action if a cross-connection or potential
cross-connection exists that is not controlled by the installation of an
approved backflow prevention assembly. Corrective action may include, but is
not limited to:
(i) Diverting potentially
contaminated reclaimed water or taking other action to prevent it from leaving
the reclaimed water facility and entering the distribution system until the
hazard is controlled or eliminated.
(ii) Denying or discontinuing reclaimed water
service to a user's property until the cross-connection hazard is eliminated or
controlled.
(iii) Requiring the
user to install, repair, or replace an approved backflow prevention assembly
appropriate for the level of risk of contamination for premises isolation of
the reclaimed water system.
(g) Prohibit the intentional return of used
water to the distribution system. Such water includes reclaimed water used for
any purpose within the user's property.
(5) Minimum elements of a cross-connection
control program. The reclaimed water generator and distributor must:
(a)
Element 1: Adopt a local
ordinance, resolution, code, bylaw, or other written legal instrument that:
(i) Establishes the generator's or
distributor's legal authority to implement a cross-connection control
program.
(ii) Describes the
operating policies and technical provisions of the cross-connection control
program.
(iii) Describes corrective
actions to be taken to ensure compliance with the cross-connection control
requirements.
(b)
Element 2: Develop and implement procedures and schedules for
ensuring that:
(i) Cross-connections are
eliminated whenever possible.
(ii)
When cross-connections cannot be eliminated, they are controlled by
installation of approved backflow prevention assemblies commensurate with the
degree of hazard.
(iii) Approved
backflow prevention assemblies are installed in the approved orientation and in
accordance with industry standards.
(iv) New and existing points of use are
assessed for compliance with the cross-connection control program.
(v) Approved backflow prevention assemblies
are inspected and tested as required.
(c)
Element 3: Ensure that
personnel, including at least one person certified as a CCS, develop and
implement the cross-connection control program.
(d)
Element 4: Develop and
implement a backflow prevention assembly testing quality control assurance
program including, but not limited to, documentation of the tester's BAT
certification and test kit calibration, test report contents, and time frames
for submitting completed test reports.
(e)
Element 5: Develop and
implement, when appropriate, procedures for responding to backflow
incidents.
(f)
Element
6: Develop and maintain cross-connection control records including, but
not limited to, the following:
(i) Locations
in the generation facility where cross-connections between higher quality and
lower quality water have been identified.
(ii) Property locations where reclaimed water
is provided.
(iii) Property
locations where users are served by both reclaimed water and potable water, and
identification of and notification to the potable purveyor.
(iv) Approved backflow assemblies and air
gaps protecting the reclaimed water generation and distribution systems;
including exact location, description of the type, manufacturer, model, size,
and serial number, assessed degree of hazard, installation date, history of
inspections, tests and repairs, test results, and person performing
tests.
(v) Cross-connection control
program annual summary reports and backflow incident reports.
(6) Protecting the
reclaimed water distribution system.
(a) If
the reclaimed water use on a property poses a high likelihood of contaminating
the reclaimed water distribution system, the reclaimed water distributor must
ensure installation of an approved backflow prevention assembly at the meter or
property line.
(b) Reclaimed water
distributors may require backflow prevention assemblies to be installed at the
meter or property line for properties with characteristics such as, but not
limited to, the following:
(i) Complex piping
arrangements or piping subject to frequent changes that make it impractical to
assess whether cross-connections exist.
(ii) A repeated history of cross-connections
being established or reestablished; or
(iii) Cross-connections that are unavoidable
or not correctable.
(7) Approved backflow prevention assemblies.
The reclaimed water generator and distributor must ensure that all installed
backflow prevention assemblies relied upon to protect the reclaimed water
facility and distribution system are models that appear on current
University of Southern California Foundation for Cross-Connection
Control and Hydraulic Research approved backflow prevention assemblies
list.
(8) Approved backflow
prevention assembly installation. The reclaimed water generator and distributor
must ensure that:
(a) Approved backflow
prevention assemblies are installed in a manner that:
(i) Facilitates their proper operation,
maintenance, inspection, and/or in-line testing using standard
procedures.
(ii) Ensures that the
assembly will not become submerged due to equipment failure or weather-related
conditions such as flooding.
(iii)
Ensures compliance with all applicable safety regulations.
(b) Bypass piping installed around any
approved back-flow prevention assembly is equipped with an approved backflow
prevention assembly that affords at least the same level of protection as the
assembly that is being bypassed.
(9) Approved backflow prevention assembly
inspection and testing. The reclaimed water generator and distributor must
ensure that:
(a) Inspections and/or tests of
approved air gaps and approved backflow prevention assemblies relied upon to
protect the reclaimed water system are conducted:
(i) At the time of installation.
(ii) Annually after installation, or more
frequently, if required by the reclaimed water distributor for connections
serving premises or systems that pose a high health cross-connection hazard or
for assemblies that repeatedly fail.
(iii) After a backflow incident.
(iv) After an assembly is repaired,
reinstalled, or relocated or the replumbing of an air gap.
(b) Approved backflow prevention assemblies
relied upon to protect the reclaimed water system are tested using standards
approved for assemblies installed to protect potable water systems in
accordance with subsection (5) of this section.
(10) Recordkeeping and reporting. Reclaimed
water generators and distributors:
(a) Must
keep cross-connection control records for the following time frames:
(i) Records pertaining to the list of
properties using reclaimed water must be kept as long as reclaimed water is
provided to the property.
(ii)
Records regarding information required in subsection (5)(f) of this section
must be kept for five years or for the life of the approved backflow prevention
assembly, whichever is shorter.
(b) May maintain records or data in any
media, such as paper, film, or electronic format.
(c) Must complete the cross-connection
control program annual summary report and make all records and reports
available as required in the permit conditions.
(d) Must notify the lead agency, potable
water purveyor, and local health jurisdiction as soon as possible, but no later
than the end of the next business day, when a backflow incident is discovered
by the reclaimed water generator or distributor to have contaminated the
reclaimed water facility, distribution system, or the potable water
system.