Oxford County wants to get the public’s opinion on a proposed new bylaw aimed at protecting the municipality’s drinking water system by requiring “higher risk properties” to install backflow prevention devices.
Oxford County wants to get the public’s opinion on a proposed new bylaw aimed at protecting the municipality’s drinking water system by requiring “higher risk properties” to install backflow prevention devices.
While the province’s building code already requires these devices for many properties that pose a high risk of backflow events, some are still excluded.
The proposed bylaw would use the Canadian Standards Association’s B64 series standard – a manual for the selection, installation and testing of these backflow prevention devices – to determine which properties pose a moderate to severe risk to the municipal water system. Once these higher risk industrial, commercial, institutional properties and select multi-residential properties are identified, they would be required by the proposed bylaw to install these devices to prevent the potential reversal of water flow.
The Ontario Building Code also offers limited requirements for the inspection, maintenance and testing of installed backflow prevention devices,
The proposed bylaw would also tackle these building code limitations by bolstering what county officials called a “multi-barrier approach” to safeguarding Oxford’s drinking water. This bylaw would outline the selection, testing and inspection frequency of approved backflow prevention devices. The new rules would also standardize the requirements for qualified inspectors, as well as introduce penalties for non-compliance.
“This will ensure implementation of best management practices for enhanced protection of the county’s municipal drinking water system,” Oxford officials said in a media release.
Normally, water flows from the pipes of the municipal drinking water systems into Oxford County homes and businesses through private service connections. Backflow events occur when a change in pressure causes water to reverse its direction of flow. When water flows from a private home or business back into the municipal system, there is a risk of contamination.
Interested municipal water customers can review the proposed bylaw and learn more about backflow prevention at www.oxfordcounty.ca/backflow.
Oxford County also plans to host public information sessions in each of its lower-tier municipalities to introduce the bylaw and give residents a chance to ask questions and have input. A session will be held in the Township of Norwich Council chamber on Feb. 28 from 2 to 4 pm A meeting in Tillsonburg will be held March 14 from 2-4 pm in the Marwood Lounge at 45 Hardy Avenue. A complete list of dates and locations for these meetings are also available at www.oxfordcounty.ca/backflow .