Backflow Reporting

Aumsville Backflow Testing Program (see tester list)

A backflow device is required by the Oregon Health Authority on any connection to the city water supply. This device protects the water supply from contamination from water flowing back into the water supply from your irrigation system. It is required to have your device tested once a year and be maintained in good working order. If you do not know when your backflow device was last tested, you can call Public Works and they will let you know when they last recieved a testing report. This is for the health and safety of everyone in the community. Thank you for doing your part to keep our drinking water safe. 

DECLARATION OF POLICY: AUTHORIZATION

It is declared that danger to the public health, safety, and welfare resulting from contamination or pollution of the public potable water supply system requires that measures be adopted to protect that system by authorizing City officials to:

a.     Protect the public potable water supply from the possibility of contamination or pollution by preventing the backflow of contaminants or pollutants into the public potable water supply system; 

b.     Promote the awareness and elimination of cross-connections, actual or potential, of a customer's internal potable water system with the public water supply system;

c.     Provide for a continuing program of backflow prevention control which will prevent the contamination or pollution of the public potable water system supply;

d.     Provide for the monitoring and enforcement of a continuing program of backflow prevention which will prevent the contamination or pollution of the public potable water supply;

e.     Comply with the state requirements contained in Oregon Administrative Rules Section 333-61-070

CROSS-CONNECTIONS FROM OR TO SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY OTHER THAN THAT OF THE CITY

It shall be unlawful for any customer to cause a connection to be made or to allow one to exist for any purpose whatsoever between City water supply and any other source of water supply without the approval of the Director.

 RESPONSIBILITY FOR BACKFLOW PREVENTION CONTROL

a)    Public Works Director: It shall be the responsibility of the Water Services Director to protect the public water supply by applying the remedies and enforcement provisions outlined in the City Ordinance 401, Article 8.

b)    Public Works Director Responsibilities.

It shall be the responsibility of Public Works Director to enforce certain provisions of this chapter, as follows:

1.     Shall administer and enforce all applicable cross-connection control provisions of the Plumbing Code, for all required backflow prevention assemblies.

2.     Shall determine whether a facility is a listed facility or activity in Table 42 and therefore requires backflow protection. This responsibility includes inspection as necessary of all existing facilities connected to the City of Aumsville water system.

3.     Shall, as a condition of issuance of any building permit, require installation of appropriate backflow prevention as required.

4.     Shall determine the type and location of all backflow prevention assemblies following this chapter and all other codes and ordinances of the City.

5.     Shall keep adequate records of each test of an approved backflow prevention assembly and any subsequent maintenance or repair thereof.

c)     Customer responsibilities.

It shall be the responsibility of the customer to prevent pollutants or contaminants from entering the customer's building potable water system and the public potable water system. The customer's responsibility starts at the point of service delivery from the public potable water system and includes all water piping systems. The customer is required to properly locate, install, test and maintain each backflow prevention assembly in good working condition and shall provide the necessary inspections to assure that the assembly is operating properly. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

1.     The customer shall obtain a permit from Marion County Building Inspection for the installation of any backflow prevention assembly or the modification of any plumbing system.

2.     The customer shall test all backflow prevention assemblies at least once a year except that the Aumsville Backflow Specialist or Director may require more frequent testing if warranted.  It is the responsibility of the customer to test and submit all testing results to the City. If the test reveals the assembly to be defective or in unsatisfactory operating condition, the customer shall perform to the satisfaction of the Aumsville Backflow Specialist all repairs or replacement so that the assembly is in satisfactory operating condition.

3.     If the backflow specialist or customer becomes aware during the interim period between annual tests that an assembly is defective or in unsatisfactory operating condition, the customer shall perform to the satisfaction of the Backflow Specialist all repairs, replacement and any retesting so that the customer has an assembly in satisfactory operating condition.

4.     Assembly testing shall be performed by a certified tester.  Testing requirements shall be following the procedures outlined in the Ninth Edition (or most recent) of the University of Southern California Manual of CrossConnection Control and Hydraulic Research (USC-FCCCHR or the Foundation) Los Angeles, CA, December 1993  (hereinafter USC Manual), Section 9. The USC Manual is incorporated herein by reference. 

5.     The customer shall be responsible for submitting copies of testing records of assemblies, on forms approved by the City, by the date specified by the AUMSVILLE BACKFLOW SPECIALIST.  The customer shall be required to retain all records for a minimum of three years from the date that a copy of the record was provided to the City.

6.     Backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed by the customer, at the customer's expense, in compliance with the standards and specifications adopted by the City.

7.     In the event, the customer's or the public water system is contaminated or polluted due to a cross connection or other cause, and the same comes to the knowledge of the customer, the Public Works  Director, the Backflow Specialist and the Oregon Health Authority shall be promptly notified by the customer so that appropriate measures may be taken to overcome the contamination.