Title
Consideration of and action on an ordinance amending Section 18-507 of the Code of Ordinances for the fees associated with the cross-connection (backflow) control program.
Body
Summary: The City is required by the State to maintain a cross-connection or backflow program in which certain commercial entities are required to have backflow preventers installed and tested on an annual basis. These preventers are necessary to protect the drinking water by preventing contaminants from reverse flowing into drinking water piping from plumbing fixtures or water utilizing equipment. While most modern plumbing fixtures have built-in backflow prevention, there are numerous commercial and industrial processes that require additional protection. On September 4, 2018, the City Council adopted Ordinance 4007 and added Section 18-507: Cross connection control program to the Code of Ordinances, including a sub-section on cross-connection control fees.
Ordinance 4007 provided for enforcement measures and added (1) a registration fee of $35.00 for each commercial backflow prevention assembly device, to be billed through the water bill; (2) an annual registration fee of $75.00 for TCEQ registered backflow testers to show proof of their current state license in accordance with current TCEQ regulations; and (3) a $40 processing fee for any business to which City water service is discontinued because of violations of this ordinance.
This ordinance needs to be revised to more accurately describe the administration and/or amount of certain of these cross-connection control fees as follows:
(1) The registration fee of $35.00 will not be billed through the water bill but will be handled in the same way as the payment for any other permit fee. The reference "to be billed through the water bill" is inaccurate and needs to be removed.
(2) The Appendix B - Schedule of Fees, Rates and Charges already cites fees related to discontinuation of service, specifically $35.00 for recon...
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