HomeMy WebLinkAboutCross Connection Ordinance Change PowerpointCross Connection Control Program
Municipal Code Text Amendment
CITY OF SEAL BEACH
September 22, 2025
First, what is a Cross Connection?
(Definition per the State Water Resources Control Board)
noun. KRAWSS kuh-NEK-shun
•Any actual or potential connection or structural arrangement between a
public water system, including a piping system connected to the public water
system and located on the premises of a water user or available to the water
user, and any source or distribution system containing liquid, gas, or other
substances not from an approved water supply.
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Why is it important?
•Cross connections within a Public Water System pose significant health
concerns for consumers because they are a direct link to the consumption of
a non-potable water source. (e.g. untreated sewage, liquid chemicals, raw
water, etc.)
Levels of Severity
•High Hazard Cross Connection Examples
•Sewage Handling Facilities
•Medical Facilities (e.g. Urgent Care, Dialysis Centers, etc.)
•Dentist Office
•Car Wash
•Mobile Home Parks
•Park Irrigation
•Gas Station
•Low Hazard Cross Connection Examples
•Single Family residential home
•Office building
•Retail shopping center
SERVICES WE OFFER
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Lorem ipsum dolor cWhat can be done to
combat/mitigate Cross Connections?
Air Gap:
Physical separation between the source of
drinking water and receptacle
Backflow Prevention Assemblies (BPAs):
Mechanical devices that prevent water
flow from going backwards, tested and
evaluated periodically
Current State Policy
•On December 19, 2023, the CA State Water Resources Control Board adopted
a Cross Connection Control Policy Handbook for Public Water Systems to
abide by
•Pursuant to Section 116407 and 116555.5 of the California Health and Safety
Code
Current Policy Intent
•Establish regulatory and enforceable guidelines for municipalities
•Foster foundational awareness to the significance of Cross Connection and
Backflow within a Public Water System
•Education and Correction First, Enforcement is Secondary
Current State Policy (cont.)
•*Each PWS must have operating rules, ordinances, by-laws, or a resolution to
implement the cross-connection program. The PWS must have legal authority to
implement corrective actions in the event a water user fails to comply in a timely
manner with the PWS’s provisions regarding the installation, inspection, field
testing, or maintenance of backflow prevention assemblies (BPAs). Such
corrective actions must include the PWS’s ability to perform at least one of the
following:
•Deny or discontinue water service to a water user
•Install, inspect, field test, and/or maintain a BPA at a water user’s premises, or
•Otherwise address in a timely manner a failure to comply with the cross -
connection control program.
*[reference: Cross Connection Control Policy Handbook, Section 3.1.3 (a)(1)]
Current SBMC Code
Section 9.35.005 Definitions (Relevant):
-Backflow
-Water User
Section 9.35.005 Cross Connection Program:
-Provides general overview of program but does not address:
-Various hazard conditions at a site
-Adoption of City-wide Management Plan
-Details of enforcement based on State policy
Proposed SBMC Code
Section 9.35.005 Definitions (Relevant):
-Approved Water Supply
-Backflow Prevention Assembly (BPA)
-Cross Connection
-Cross Connection Control Policy Handbook
-Cross Connection Control Specialist
Section 9.35.005 Cross Connection Program:
-Adds details on BPA requirements based on site hazard conditions
-Adds details on adoption of City-wide Management Plan
-Adds details for City authority for enforcement and compliance with State Policy
Other Notes Withstanding:
•Ordinance Addition for Termination of Water
Service Reason:
•Non-compliance with the Cross Connection
Control Management Plan
•Existing Termination of Water Service Reasons:
•Non-payment of utility bill
•Long-term address vacancy
•Emergency Repairs and Maintenance
Proposed Code Change Benefits:
•Provide continued safe water service and asset management in accordance
with State law
•Updates Municipal Code in accordance with state law
Any Questions?