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Ohio Administrative Code (Last Updated: January 12, 2021) |
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3745 Ohio Environmental Protection Agency |
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Chapter3745-95. Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control |
3745-95-01. Backflow prevention and cross-connection control definitions
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As used in this chapter of the Administrative Code:
(A)
(1) "Air gap separation" means the unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet supplying water to a tank, plumbing fixture, or other device and the flood level rim of the receptacle.
(2) "Approved" means that a backflow prevention assembly, device, or method has been accepted by the supplier of water and the director as suitable for the proposed use.
(3) "Auxiliary water system" means any water system on or available to the premises other than the public water system. These auxiliary water systems shall include used water or water from a source other than the public water system, such as wells, cisterns or open reservoirs that are equipped with pumps or other prime movers, including gravity.
(B)
(1) "Backflow" means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, or substances into the distributing pipes of a potable water supply from any source other than the intended source of the potable water supply.
(2) "Backflow preventer" means any assembly, device, method or type of construction intended to prevent backflow into a potable water system. This definition applies wherever "backflow prevention device" is used in this chapter.
(3) "Booster pump" means any device which is intended to increase the in-line water pressure.
(C)
(1) "Consumer" means the owner or person in control of any premises supplied by or in any manner connected to a public water system.
(2) "Consumer's water system" means any water system, located on the consumer's premises, supplied by or in any manner connected to a public water system. A household plumbing system is considered to be a consumer's water system.
(3) "Containment principle backflow preventer" is a backflow preventer, installed in a consumer's water system, that is intended to contain the water within the premises in order to prevent any polluted or contaminated water from backflowing into the public water system. Typically, the containment principle backflow preventer is placed at the service connection unless placement is otherwise specified by rule herein.
(4) "Cross-connection" means any arrangement whereby backflow can occur.
(D)
(1) "Degree of hazard" is a term derived from an evaluation of the potential risk to health and welfare.
(2) "Director" means the director of environmental protection or the director's duly authorized representative.
(3) "Double check valve assembly" means an assembly composed of two single, independently acting, check valves including tightly closing shutoff valves located at each end of the assembly and suitable connections for testing the watertightness of each check valve.
(4) "Double check-detector check valve assembly" means a specially designed assembly composed of a line-size approved double check valve assembly with a specific bypass water meter and a meter-sized approved double check valve assembly. The meter shall register accurately for only very low rates of flow and shall show a registration for all rates of flow.
(E) [Reserved.]
(F) [Reserved.]
(G) [Reserved.]
(H)
(1) "Health hazard" means any condition, device, or practice in a water system or its operation that creates, or may create, a danger to the health of users.
(2) "Human consumption" means the ingestion or absorption of water or water vapor as the result of drinking, cooking, dishwashing, hand washing, bathing, showering or oral hygiene.
(I) "Interchangeable connection" means an arrangement or device that will allow alternate but not simultaneous use of two sources of water and includes an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly or an approved reduced pressure principle-detector assembly on the public water system side of the connection.
(J) [Reserved.]
(K) [Reserved.]
(L) [Reserved.]
(M) [Reserved.]
(N) [Reserved.]
(O) [Reserved.]
(P)
(1) "Person" means the state, any political subdivision, public or private corporation, individual, partnership, or other legal entity.
(2) "Pollutional hazard" means a condition through which an aesthetically objectionable or degrading material, which is not dangerous to the public water system or health of users, may enter the public water system or portion of a consumer's water system.
(3) "Potable water" means water intended for human consumption.
(4) "Premises" means any building, structure, dwelling or area containing plumbing or piping supplied from a public water system.
(5) "Pressure vacuum breaker" means an assembly composed of an independently acting spring loaded check valve located downstream of an independently acting spring loaded air inlet valve including, tightly closing shutoff valves located at each end of the assembly and suitable connections for testing the integrity of the air inlet and check valves.
(6) "Process fluids" means any fluid or solution which may be chemically, biologically or otherwise contaminated or polluted in a form or concentration such as would constitute a pollutional, system, health or severe health hazard if introduced into the public water system or portion of a consumer's water system. This includes, but is not limited to the following:
(a) Polluted or contaminated waters.
(b) Process waters.
(c) Used waters originating from a public water system which may have deteriorated in sanitary quality.
(d) Cooling waters.
(e) Contaminated natural waters taken from wells, lakes, streams or irrigation systems.
(f) Chemicals in solution or suspension.
(g) Oils, gases, acids, alkalis, and other liquid and gaseous fluids used in industrial or other processes, or for fire fighting purposes.
(7) "Public water system" has the same meaning as in rule 3745-81-01 of the Administrative Code.
(Q) [Reserved.]
(R)
(1) "Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly" means an assembly containing a minimum of two independently acting check valves together with an automatically operated pressure differential relief valve located between the two check valves. During normal flow and at the cessation of normal flow, the pressure between these two checks shall be less than the supply pressure. In case of leakage of either check valve, the differential relief valve, by discharging to the atmosphere, shall operate to maintain the pressure between the check valves at less than the supply pressure. The unit must include tightly closing shutoff valves located at each end of the assembly, and each assembly shall be fitted with properly located test cocks.
(2) "Reduced pressure principle-detector assembly" means a specially designed assembly composed of a line-size approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly with a specific bypass water meter and a meter sized approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly. The meter shall register accurately for only very low rates of flow and shall show a registration for all rates of flows.
(S)
(1) "Service connection," for the purposes of this chapter, means the terminal end of a service line from the public water system. If a meter is installed at the end of the service, then the service connection means the downstream end of the meter.
(2) "Severe health hazard" means a health hazard to users that could reasonably be expected to result in significant morbidity or death.
(3) "Supplier of water" means the owner or operator of a public water system.
(4) "System hazard" means a condition posing an actual or potential threat of damage to the physical properties of the public water system or a consumer's water system.
(T) [Reserved.]
(U) "Used water" means any water supplied by a supplier of water from a public water system to a consumer's water system after the water has passed through the service connection and is no longer under the control of the supplier.
(V) [Reserved.]
(W)
(1) "Water system" means a system for the provision of piped water or process fluids, and includes any collection, treatment, storage or distribution facilities used primarily in connection with such system.
(2) "Weep holes" means a series of small diameter holes located in the wall of the supply pipe for a yard hydrant that allow for drainage of accumulated water from the delivery piping. These holes are usually part of a plunger and valve system that seals off the holes during water usage and opens the holes during shutdown. These openings are located below ground level and below the frost line in areas where the threat of freezing exists.
(X) [Reserved.]
(Y) "Yard hydrant" means a device that is located outside of a building, equipped with a valved mechanism that controls the delivery of potable water, and is not designed to supply a fire department pumper.
(Z) [Reserved.]