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STATE BACKFLOW REQUIREMENTS
641—25.6(135) Backflow prevention with containment. Cities of 15,000 population or greater as
determined by the 1990 census or any subsequent special census shall enact a backflow prevention
program with containment by January 1, 1996. The minimum requirements for a program are given in
subrules 25.6(1) to 25.6(5). These requirements are in addition to the applicable requirements of sub-section
603 of the Uniform Plumbing Code, 1994 Edition.
Ch 25, p.5 Public Health[641]
25.6(1) Definitions. The following definitions are added to those in Chapter 2 and section 603 of
the Uniform Plumbing Code, 1994 Edition, or are modified from those definitions for the purposes of
rule 25.6(135) only.
a. Administrative authority. The administrative authority for this rule is the city council and its
designees.
b. Approved backflow prevention assembly for containment. A backflow prevention assembly
which is listed by the University of Southern California-Foundation for Cross Connection Control and
Hydraulic Research as having met the requirements of ANSI-AWWA Standard C510-92, “Double
Check Valve Backflow-Prevention Assemblies,” or ANSI-AWWA Standard C511-92, “Reduced-Pressure
Principle Backflow-Prevention Assemblies,” for containment. The listing shall include the
limitations of use based on the degree of hazard. The backflow prevention assembly must also be listed
by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials.
c. Approved backflow prevention assembly for containment in a fire protection system. A back-flow
prevention assembly to be used in a fire protection system which meets the requirements of Facto-ry
Mutual Research Corporation (FM) and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) in addition to the require-ments
of 25.6(1)“a.”
d. Containment. Containment is a method of backflow prevention which requires a backflow
prevention assembly on certain water services. Containment requires that the backflow prevention
assembly be installed on the water service as close to the public water supply main as is practical.
e. Customer. The owner, operator or occupant of a building or property which has a water service
from a public water system, or the owner or operator of a private water system which has a water ser-vice
from a public water system.
f. Degree of hazard. The rating of a cross connection or a water service which indicates if it has
the potential to cause contamination (high hazard) or pollution (low hazard).
g. Water service. Depending on the context, water service is the physical connection between a
public water system and a customer’s building, property or private water system, or the act of providing
potable water to a customer.
25.6(2) Proposed water service.
a. No person shall install, or cause to have installed, a water service to a building, property or
private water system if it is found that contamination or pollution of the public water supply could oc-cur
unless the water service is protected by an approved backflow prevention assembly for contain-ment.
b. The administrative authority shall require the submission of plans, specifications and other in-formation
deemed necessary for a building, property or private water system to which a water service is
proposed. The administrative authority shall review the information submitted to determine if cross
connections will exist and the degree of hazard.
c. The owner of a building, property or private water system shall install, or cause to have
installed, an approved backflow prevention assembly for containment as directed by the administra-tive
authority before water service is initiated.
d. Reconstruction of an existing water service shall be treated as a proposed water service for the
purposes of rule 641—25.6(135).
25.6(3) Existing water services.
a. The administrative authority shall publish the standards which it uses to determine the degree
of hazard for a water service. These shall be consistent with standards published by the Iowa depart-ment
of public health.
b. Each customer shall survey the activities and processes which receive water from the water
service and shall report to the administrative authority if cross connections exist and the degree of haz-ard.
Ch 25, p.6 Public Health[641]
c. The administrative authority may inspect the plumbing of any building, property and private
water system which has a water service to determine if cross connections exist and the degree of haz-ard.
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d. If, based on information provided through 25.6(3)“b” and “c,” the administrative authority
determines that a water service may contaminate the public water supply, the administrative authority
shall require that the customer install the appropriate backflow prevention assembly for containment.
e. If a customer refuses to install a backflow prevention assembly for containment when it is re-quired
by the administrative authority, the administrative authority may order that water service to the
customer be discontinued until an appropriate backflow prevention assembly is installed.
25.6(4) Backflow prevention assemblies for containment.
a. Backflow prevention assemblies for containment shall be installed immediately following the
water meter or as close to that location as deemed practical by the administrative authority.
b. A water service determined to present a high hazard shall be protected by an air gap or an ap-proved
reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly.
c. A water service determined to present a low hazard shall be protected by an approved double
check valve assembly or as in 25.6(5)“b.”
d. A water service to a fire protection system shall be protected from backflow in accordance with
the recommendations of American Water Works Association Manual M14. Where backflow preven-tion
is required for a fire protection system, an approved backflow prevention assembly for contain-ment
in a fire protection system shall be used.
25.6(5) Backflow incidents.
a. The customer shall immediately notify the agency providing water service when the customer
becomes aware that backflow has occurred in the building, property or private water system receiving
water service.
b. The administrative authority may order that a water service be temporarily shut off when a
backflow occurs in a customer’s building, property or private water system.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code section 135.11(5).
[Filed 12/3/81, Notice 9/2/81—published 12/23/81, effective 1/27/82]
[Filed 2/24/84, Notice 10/26/83—published 3/14/84, effective 4/18/84]
[Filed emergency 7/11/86 after Notice 4/23/86—published 7/30/86, effective 7/11/86]
[Filed emergency 7/10/87—published 7/29/87, effective 7/10/87]
[Filed 1/17/89, Notice 11/16/88—published 2/8/89, effective 3/15/89]
[Filed 7/17/92, Notice 1/22/92—published 8/5/92, effective 9/9/92]
[Filed 5/13/96, Notice 3/13/96—published 6/5/96, effective 7/10/96]