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Cross Connection-
As defined by the
Environmental Protection Agency,
is any actual or
potential connection
between the public water supply
and a source of contamination or pollution. Such cross
connections constitute a hazard to the building occupants
and can jeopardize the cleanliness and potability of the
public water
system, in the event of a backflow or
backsiphonage event.
Backflow- Means the reversal of flow of water or mixtures of
water and other
liquids, gases or other substances into the distribution pipes of a potable
water supply from
any sources other than an approved water supply source.
Backflow prevention assembly- Means an assembly which,
when properly
installed between the city water supply system and the terminus or point of
ultimate use will prevent backflow.
Examples-
Include, but not limited to, Reduced
Pressure Zone Assemblies
(RPZ), Double Check
Valves (DC) & Anti-Siphon
Vacuum Breakers.
Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester- Means an individual licensed in
accordance with (TCEQ) Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rules
as
amended, for the purpose of testing backflow prevention assemblies &
providing cross connection control.
January 2002
Newsletter - Texas Turf Irrigation Association
Gene Reagan:
Formally known as - Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.
Currently known as - Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
A Keller Texas homeowner was surprised to find dozens of squiggly little
worms in his upstairs
toilet bowl recently. Later as he was pouring
water
into his coffee maker, he noticed something
moving in the water,
another
little worm. He collected samples of the worms and presented
them
to
Angela Wallis, Environmental Services Coordinator for the City
of Keller,
Water Utilities Dept. Angela, who is also a Certified
Backflow Prevention
Assembly Tester, advised him they were nematodes and
that they most
likely came through his landscape irrigation system. It turns out the
irrigation system had a nine-year old Double Check Valve Assembly
(DC) that
had not been
tested since it was installed. When
the homeowner
tried to turn off the water to the
irrigation system at the
device, both gate
valve handles crumbled. He was able to turn one
valve
off with a wrench,
though. The story gets a little more interesting. When the homeowner
contacted a
company to test the DC, the person who arrived to do the test
told him it would
be cheaper to replace the device than to test it. $275 later,
he had a new DC. However, the
homeowner later discovered that the
company did not obtain a permit from the city, nor had
they
tested the new
device. At the time of this writing, Ms. Wallis is investigating possible
City
of
Keller ordinance
violations. TNRCC Landscape
Irrigation Program is
inquiring into
possible violations of State law.
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