Cross-Connection Control Program 2025

La Puente Valley County Water District is committed to delivering clean, safe drinking water that meets or exceeds all state and federal standards. To continue delivering on this promise, the District has updated its Cross-Connection Control Program effective July 1, 2025. The program is in accordance with state and federal regulations, including the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Cross-Connection Control Handbook and the District’s Cross-Connection Control Ordinance 2024-01.

This proactive and comprehensive program is designed to identify, monitor, and reduce possible sources of contamination, ensuring continued protection of the public water system.

Program Highlights:

• Backflow Protection Assembly Management
• Hazard Assessments for all locations
• Public Outreach and Education about cross-connections

Purpose: The District regularly tests and monitors the water it supplies to its customers to ensure we deliver on our promise. However, the safety of the water can be at risk due to potential cross-connections that may be located on customer properties. For this reason, the District aims to take a proactive approach and locate potential hazards to protect the integrity of the water.

Program Goal: Find potential hazards throughout the service area and put protective measures in place to safeguard the public water supply and continue providing clean and safe water to customers.

Cross-Connection Control Program Forms and Resources:

Backflow Prevention Assembly Management

The District has always maintained a Backflow Prevention Assembly (BPA) Management process that ensures all BPAs are tested annually in accordance with the California State Water Resources Control Board’s policies and procedures. BPAs are required to be installed at locations where potential hazards to the drinking water system exist. These devices must be field tested annually by certified backflow testers.

Backflow Prevention Assembly Selection

The District does not direct customers which BPA to install.

Customers can select a BPA to install from the USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research: List of Approved Backflow Prevention Assemblies. The list provided on the following website is updated as changes occur:

USC List of Approved Backflow Prevention Assemblies (fccchr.usc.edu)

The District will ensure that each replaced or newly installed BPA (e.g., PVB, SVB, DC, RP, etc.) for protection of the public water system is approved through both laboratory and field evaluation tests performed in accordance with at least one of the following:

• Standards found in Chapter 10 of the *Manual of Cross-Connection Control, Tenth Edition*, published by the University of Southern California Foundation for Cross- Connection Control and Hydraulic Research; or
• Certification requirements for BPAs in the Standards of ASSE International current as of 2022 that include ASSE 1015-2021 for the DC, ASSE 1048-2021 for the DCDA & DCDAII, ASSE 1013-2021 for the RP, and ASSE 1047-2021 for the RPDA & RPDA-II and must have the 1YT mark.

Backflow Testers

During the 2025 backflow testing year and annually thereafter, the District will verify the certification of all backflow testers and create and maintain a list of backflow testers that are allowed to test BPAs within the District’s service area. A Tester Code of Conduct Form must be completed and submitted by the backflow tester along with the backflow test forms.

Beginning in January 2026, only backflow testers on the District’s pre-approved list of backflow testers may conduct testing of BPAs within the District’s service area. This list of District verified BPA testers will be reviewed annually, or more frequently, as needed.

Hazard Assessments

Hazard Assessments are a key part of the effectiveness of the updated Cross-Connection Control Program. District staff will survey all properties within the District service area and ensure each location is properly protected from cross-connections. This includes all residential, commercial, industrial, and irrigation only properties.

If corrective action is required to protect the public water system, the customer will be provided with a Corrective Action Letter. The District will follow up with the customer to ensure all corrective actions are completed.

Please note: Each staff member has a District issued identification badge to ensure they can provide proper identification. If you ever doubt the identity of staff members, please contact the District Office at 626.330.2126 to verify.

Public Outreach & Education

Ensuring the health and safety of the public water supply requires a combined effort between the District and its customers. If backflow occurs, there is a risk of contamination of the shared water supply. Therefore, the District wants to inform customers of ways they can prevent these events from happening.

Definitions

• Backflow: the reversal of water flow direction in your plumbing system. This occurs due to a change in water pressure for a variety of scenarios.
• Backpressure Backflow: The direction of water flow reverses due to higher pressure on the customer’s side, such as a water hose being located at the bottom of a deep pool.
• Backsiphonage Backflow: The direction of water flow reverses due to one area of the water system using a lot of water, such as putting out a fire.
• Air-gap separation (AG): A type of plumbing configuration that prevents backflow and backsiphonage. There is a physical separation between the discharge point and the water container.
• Backflow Prevention Assembly (BPA): A device that prevents backflow/backsiphonage from a property. It is connected into the on-site plumbing directly after the customer’s meter.
• Hazard Assessment: Surveys conducted at properties located within the District’s service area to identify potential cross-connection hazards and determine any corrective needed to properly protect the shared water system from those hazards. The hazards will be identified as high hazard, low hazard, and no hazard.

Customer Do’s and Don’ts

There are some common habits that people partake in that feel ordinary and harmless. The District wants to inform customers and the public about habits that can potentially lead to hazardous outcomes to the public water system. Reference the table below to learn about the DO’s and DON’T’S of protecting the public water supply.

Protecting the Water Supply: DO’s and DON’Ts

DO	DON’T
Leave the hose running in a spot that is above the water	DO NOT submerge a hose in water (for instance, while filling a pool)
Check that your toilet is outfitted properly with anti-siphon ballock assemblies	DO NOT use toilets that are not outfitted with anti-siphon protection
Remove these toxic sprays after use and install a hose bib vacuum breaker	DO NOT leave a hose connected to pesticide or fertilizer spray
Call your water utility company to shut off your water supply to investigate the potential source	DO NOT ignore signs of potential backflow in your plumbing system

Potential Warning Signs of Backflow

If you observe these signs in your plumbing system, please contact a licensed professional plumber to inspect your system. If needed, contact the District to turn off the water service to your property.

• Discolored water
• Visible debris
• Bad odors
• Low water pressure
• Gurgling noises
• Slow drains
• Bas taste
• Repeated Leaks

For more information, please contact the Cross-Connection Control Program Coordinator, Alyssa Arana, at 626.330.2126 or e-mail backflow@lapuentewater.com.