I. RECOMMENDATION:
Staff is recommending that the City Council Introduce and Waive the first reading of Ordinance No. 830, establishing regulations for backflow control and cross connections devices, which will supersede the current ordinance No. 770.
II. BACKGROUND:
On October 12, 2012, ordinance 770 was adopted, establishing regulations to implement and enforce a cross connection control program, as per required by Title 17 and Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. Due to lack of staff, the program never got off the ground. On August 6th, 2018 the City of Coalinga filled the Public Utilities Coordinator position. With this position came the responsibility to build, administer, and enforce the City of Coalinga’s Cross Connection Control Program. Since that date, enforcement of the program has begun as it exists. However, staff finds the ordinance in it’s current state to be inflexible and not appropriate to the degree of the hazard.
III. DISCUSSION:
Staff has prepared an ordinance that will be comprehensive, flexible, and commensurate with the degree of hazard as it is evaluated by a licensed Cross Connection Control Program Specialist.
While the body of the document does not greatly differ in content regarding ordinance no. 770, it does differ in key areas. For example:
Hazards are to be protected by backflow assemblies that commensurate with the degree of hazard rather than arbitrary such as by water line size.
The approved backflow list has been modified to reflect what the University of Southern California’s Foundation for Cross Connection Control and Hydraulic Research (USC FCCCHR) states as an acceptable assembly.
If a private certified backflow tester is unavailable to the public, the City may provide testing, repair, and installation services. This is intended to give customers an alternative to service disconnection if they cannot test their device by the deadline.
Currently, out City has no licensed plumbers or companies that may perform this inspection.
IV. ALTERNATIVES:
None - Title 17 and Title 22 of California Code of Regulations requires that cross-connection control programs be established and enforced by public water systems.
V. FISCAL IMPACT:
None. |