Bureau of Operations - Drinking Water
Cross-Connection and Backflow Prevention
Regulations

The City of Atlanta Cross-Connection Control and Backflow Protection Program is mandated on the federal, state and local level. These statutes, regulations and code provisions are intended to provide reasonable and required protection for the Atlanta Water Supply System against contamination and/or pollution resulting from backflow and/or back siphonage through cross-connection and/or controlled plumbing connections.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), passed in 1974 by Congress, authorized the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set standards for drinking water quality. Georgia adopted these federal standards in 1977, passing the Georgia Safe Drinking Water Act of 1977. The Georgia Board of Natural resources promulgated the Rules for Safe Drinking Water that same year which states:

“A supplier of water or any person having possession or control of facilities that may cause the contamination of a public water system has the responsibility to prevent water from unapproved sources or any contaminants from entering the public water system.”

The Georgia Board of Natural Resources amended this rule in 1983 and mandated that all public water systems develop Cross-Connection Control and/or Backflow Prevention Programs.

The City of Atlanta enacted Atlanta City Code Section 154-66, implementing a Cross-Connection Control and Backflow Prevention Program requiring property owners to eliminate or protect against cross-connections and prevent backflow on their premises.

For more detailed information, please click on the following links:

US EPA Safe Drinking Water Act
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sdwa/index.html

GA DNR Rule 391-3-5-.13
http://www.georgiaepd.org/Documents/rules_exist.html

Atlanta City Code § 154-66
http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=10376&sid=10