Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Colleen Chawla, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Heather Forshey, Director, Environmental Health Services
Subject: Adopt an Ordinance Making Updating Chapter 4.72 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code Concerning Backflow Prevention
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt an ordinance repealing and replacing Chapter 4.72 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code concerning backflow prevention, previously introduced on March 11, 2025, and waive reading of the ordinance in its entirety.
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BACKGROUND:
The County's Backflow Prevention Ordinance, Chapter 4.72 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, protects potable water supplies from contamination by establishing County requirements for backflow prevention. The Ordinance was last updated in January 2013. Environmental Health Services (EHS) has agreements with 18 (out of 23) large public water systems within the County to provide backflow prevention (cross-connection control) services, which allow the latter water systems to maintain effective cross-connection control programs to protect public water systems and public health.
On December 19, 2023, the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted new regulatory requirements related to cross-connection control for all public water systems in the form of the Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook, Standards and Principles for California's Public Water Systems (Policy Handbook). This Policy Handbook, promulgated as regulation, became effective July 1, 2024, with relevant milestones requiring updates to the County's Backflow Prevention Ordinance by July 1, 2025.
DISCUSSION:
The Ordinance updates definitions, references, and authorized backflow prevention assembly tester responsibilities, among other minor changes, to ensure the Ordinance and the EHS cross-connection control program are aligned with the recently enacted Policy Handbook. EHS'...
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