By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
A cross connection ordinance was adopted by Mona City
Council members.
"Allen Pay, our water master, has read over the
ordinance and has found it to be in good order," said Rick
Schnurr, council member.
The format used was that of World Water, an
organization which helps communities with the wording for
ordinances dealing with the natural resource and its
management.
"Since no land use issues are involved," said Schnurr,
"we can adopt the ordinance as it is written and can have it
posted for 24-hours at a public posting spot."
Once the ordinance has been posted for the 24-hours
required by law, it will become effective.
Cross connection ordinances are written to prevent the
illegal transfer of water from secondary water uses to
culinary water.
Simply put, a cross-connection is any connection to a
drinking water supply. These connections may be temporary or
permanent between a public water distribution system and any
other system containing nonpotable water or other
substances.
"As an example, the most common cross-connection in
the home is the garden hose attached to the outside faucet,"
said Schnurr. "Without a mechanical protection device in
place, the cross-connection at the home faucet could
contaminate the public water supply."
One ways this might occur, for example, is on a hot,
sunny, water using day. One neighbor is watering the lawn
and washing the car. Another has decided it's time to use
the garden hose to spray pesticide on the lawn.
Attached to the garden hose is one of those handy
bottles that applies the pesticide at the proper rate and
dosage when the faucet is turned.
The pesticide is being sprayed at a home, when
suddenly someone in the home decides to take a mid-day
shower and someone else turns on the washer and does a load
of laundry.
The high use of water from the home results in
negative reverse flow allowing the pesticide to be sucked
into the home water supply.
While the individual is spraying pesticide on the
lawn, a fire erupts down the street. There is a sudden drop
in water pressure as water is rapidly pulled out of the
mains from the fire department. The pesticide in the garden
hose is then drawn into the water mains beyond the home
contaminating the water and causing the entire neighborhood
to become suddenly ill and possibly causing death.
A properly installed protective back flow (or back
siphonage) valve could have prevented the contamination and
death. To prevent contamination from a home faucet, each
outdoor spigot should have a hose-bibb vacuum breaker
installed. This type of cross-connection prevention device
will stop back siphonage from occurring.
Plumbing cross-connections are defined as actual or
potential connections between a potable and non-potable
water supply.
"Cross-connections constitute a serious public health
hazard," said Schnurr.
There are numerous, well-documented cases in which
cross connections have been responsible for contamination of
drinking water and causing death.
Although the potable water is safe, meeting the
standards from the Safe Drinking Water Act,
cross-connections can contaminate potable water.
Cross-connections have resulted in the spread of
disease, and have resulted in death from consumption of
contaminated water. Cross connection control devices are
essential in preventing back flow or back siphonage.
Whenever a water utility connects a customer to the
utility's distribution system, the intention is for the
water to flow from the distribution system to the customer.
However, the flow of water could be reversed from the
customer back into the distribution system.
If cross-connections exist within the customer's
plumbing system when back flow occurs, then it is possible
to contaminate the public water supply.
Garden hoses, toilets, or similar devices create most
household cross-connections.
"Under certain conditions, the flow in household water
lines can reverse and siphon contaminates into the water
supply," he said.
A toilet installed incorrectly, without a
"plumbing-code approved" toilet ballcock (air-gap) will
allow contaminated water to back flow to other water outlets
in your house, including the kitchen sink.
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