DATE: October 1, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Water Utilities Department
TITLE: AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 37, ARTICLE IX RELATINGTO CROSS-CONNECTION AND BACKFLOW DEVICES
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council introduce an ordinance amending Chapter 37, Article IX relating to cross-connection and backflow devices to comply with the new requirements of the updated Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
This ordinance amendment applies to all new residential construction that requires fire sprinklers as a condition of issuing building permits. Fire sprinklers require constant water pressure to ensure that they are available in the event of a fire, at which time they would be activated to help suppress any fire before it spread to other portions of the building. As part of having a fire sprinkler system, a cross-connection control device is necessary to prevent the water from backing up into the distribution system, potentially causing contamination of drinking water supplies.
The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) has updated the Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook, requiring the City to update Chapter 37, Article IX relating to cross-connection and backflow devices. The previous requirement called for the installation of a Dual Check Valve for residential fire sprinkler systems. These devices are no longer permitted because they are not testable. Therefore, the effectiveness of the device is not verifiable.
Per SWRCB Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook, water meters that serve an automatic fire sprinkler system along with the domestic water system shall be equipped with a double check (DC) backflow preventer with shut off valves and test ports.
Alternatively, a DC backflow device is not required if the user premises has only one service connection, if a single, water industry standard water meter is provide...
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