On December 19, 2023, the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted a new regulation called the Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook (CCCPH).  As a consequence of this regulation, Senior Canyon must assume full responsibility for managing the CCCPH program within our service territory. The Handbook requires Senior Canyon to administer a cross-connection control program that protects the drinking water supply from contamination by eliminating existing and potential cross connections.  A cross connection is an actual or potential physical link between a safe water supply and a source of contamination or pollution. 

The Importance of Backflow Prevention

A backflow prevention device prevents contamination of the drinking water system against bacteria, insecticides, fertilizers, and other organic and nonorganic contaminants which can be present in both landscape of crop irrigations systems. These contaminants may enter or backflow into the drinking water system through an unprotected cross connection between the drinking water system and irrigation system. The University of Southern California produced a short video that explains how backflow can occur and how cross-connections can be controlled with different types of prevention devices. While the video is a bit dated, it does an excellent job of providing an overview of both the problem and the solution. You can access the video here.

Inside and outside the home, there are a number of potential sources of cross-contamination, including hose bibbs, sinks, tubs, water tanks, swimming pools, toilets and irrigation systems. For an overview of the potential sources, read the pamphlet published by USC’s Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research entitled, “Prevalence of Cross-Connections in Household Plumbing.”

Shareholder Responsibility

Under California’s cross-connection control regulations, as well as Senior Canyon’s Rules and Regulations for Water Service, shareholders are legally required to protect the water system from contamination caused by backflow. Customers are directly responsible for a number of things under the program:

• Device Installation & Ownership: Customers must install, own, and maintain required backflow prevention assemblies or air gaps on their side of the water meter.

• Annual Testing: All required backflow devices must be tested at least annually by a certified backflow prevention assembly tester, regardless of property occupancy.  

• Maintenance & Repair: Customers bear all costs for maintenance, repairs, and necessary replacements of their backflow devices to ensure continuous, proper operation.

• Hazard Assessments: Customers must allow Senior Canyon or contracted Cross Connection specialists to conduct on-site hazard assessments of the property.

• Corrective Actions: If a shareholder fails to install, test, or repair a required device, Senior Canyon has the legal authority to apply penalties or discontinue water service entirely.

To ensure compliance, shareholders must complete Senior Canyon’s Cross Connection Assessment Questionnaire available at the link below, and submit the completed form to the company using the following email address: waterquality@seniorcanyonwater.com.  If you need to mail a hard copy of the form, send it to Senior Canyon Mutual Water Company, Cross-Connection Control Coordinator, P.O. Box 600, Ojai, CA  93024.

Senior Canyon will notify the water user of the survey findings, and list any necessary corrective action.  Such corrective action, including the installation of a backflow prevention assembly, must be taken within a thirty day period, or other such reasonable time period as determined by Senior Canyon.

A second notice will be sent to each water user who does not take the required corrective action prescribed in the first notice within the allowed time period.  The second notice will give the water user a two-week period in which to take the required corrective action.  If no action is taken in the two-week period, Senior Canyon shall terminate water service to the affected customer until the required corrective actions are taken.

Based on a shareholder’s response to the Assessment Questionnaire, their backflow assembly may need to be tested and certified each year by a certified backflow tester.  Below is a list of backflow assembly testers certified to work on cross-connection devices within Senior Canyon’s service territory. The order of testers listed is randomly generated and changes with each update.

Testers

Credentials

To submit test results on behalf of Senior Canyon shareholders, testers must provide an ANSI accredited Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester Certificate (for example, American Water Works Association) and backflow test kit information that includes the most recent calibration certificate.

Senior Canyon has partnered with GARDER-PRO to assist in administering the backflow program. Following the completion of testing and/or repairs, all test results must be submitted online to GARDER-PRO. A one-time registration process must be completed by each tester before any test results will be accepted. Please email Senior Canyon at waterquality@seniorcanyonwater.com to obtain login information.

Once Senior Canyon has issued log-on credentials, testers may go to the test submission portal at https://garder-pro.web.app/login to submit results. Below are links to a sample Backflow Prevention Assembly Field Test Form and California Water Service standard installation instructions. 

If you have questions, please email them to waterquality@seniorcanyonwater.com.