To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Phil Brun, Utilities Director
Prepared By: Sara Gallegos, Management Analyst II
TITLE:
Title
Update Backflow Prevention Device Testing Fees
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution updating Backflow Prevention Device Testing fees and authorizing the City Manager to reimburse water customers to the extent they paid a higher fee amount for Backflow Prevention Device Testing between April 2023 and the effective date of this resolution.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The City's Utilities Department is responsible for compliance with the State of California's Cross-Connection Control Policy intended to protect public health by ensuring drinking water is not subject to backflow of liquids, gases, or other substances.
The City notifies its water customers of the state requirement for annual testing of their backflow prevention devices. After three notices, if the water customer has failed to independently have their backflow prevention device tested and provide passing results to the Utilities Department, the City must act for compliance. Staff is deployed to perform the required annual testing of backflow devices for non-compliant water customers throughout the City's water system, including water customers outside of City limits. Upon test completion, a fee is passed on to the water customer via their water utility bill for actual costs incurred by City, including labor, equipment, and administrative costs. The current adopted user fee for backflow prevention device testing was developed based on the amount of labor and vehicle mileage costs incurred for services within City limits versus outside City limits in the more rural area which required more driving time.
In April 2023, the City entered into an agreement with a contractor to perform testing of backflow prevention devices in lieu of City staff performing testing for non-compliant accounts. This change resulted in higher efficiency ...
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