CITY OF SIMI VALLEY
MEMORANDUM
Oc
tober 6, 2025
T
O: City Council/Board of Directors
F
ROM: Department of Public Works
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UBJECT: SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. WWD-19 OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF VENTURA COUNTY WATERWORKS DISTRICT NO. 8
ADDING CHAPTER 15 TO TITLE 6 - SANITATION AND HEALTH OF THE
MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF SIMI VALLEY REPLACING
ORDINANCE WWD-18 AND ESTABLISHING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE, AND TESTING OF BACKFLOW
PREVENTION ASSEMBLIES AND THE PROHIBITION OF CROSS-
CONNECTIONS PER CROSS -CONNECTION CONTROL POLICY
HANDBOOK REGULATION
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
I
t is recommended that Ordinance No. WWD-19 be adopted.
BACKGROUND
T
he attached Ordinance No. WWD-19 was introduced for first reading at the City Council/Board of Directors meeting of September 15, 2025, without modifications.
SUGGESTED CITY COUNCIL MOTION
I
move to adopt Ordinance No. WWD-19.
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_______________________________
Ronald K. Fuchiwaki
Public Works Director
P
repared by: Lucy Blanco, City Clerk
INDEX Page
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rdinance No. WWD-19 ....................................................................... 2 AGENDA ITEM NO.
8A
ORDINANCE NO. WWD-19
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
VENTURA COUNTY WATERWORKS DISTRICT NO. 8
ADDING CHAPTER 15 TO TITLE 6 - SANITATION AND
HEALTH OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF SIMI
VALLEY REPLACING ORDINANCE WWD- 18 AND
ESTABLISHING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE, AND TESTING OF
BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLIES AND THE
PROHIBITION OF CROSS -CONNECTIONS PER CROSS -
CONNECTION CONTROL POLICY HANDBOOK
REGULATION
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF VENTURA COUNTY WATERWORKS
DISTRICT NO. 8 DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Findings.
A. The District seeks to update the Simi Valley Municipal Code to conform with updated state law regarding certain utility cross -connections in accordance with its plan to implement its Cross-Connection Control Plan.
B. This Ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the common sense exemption set forth in Section 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, which provides that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. It can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that adoption of this ordinance, which establishes regulatory requirements for cross-connection control and backflow prevention to protect the City’s potable water system, may have a significant effect on the environment. In addition, this ordinance is exempt under the Class 8 Categorical Exemption in Section 15308 of the State CEQA Guidelines, which exempts actions taken by regulatory agencies for the protection of the environment. The ordinance establishes inspection, maintenance, and compliance requirements to prevent the contamination of the City’s potable water supply, which is an environm ental protection measure. T herefore, no further environmental review is required under CEQA.
SECTION 2. Amendments. Chapter 15, of Title 6, of the Simi Valley Municipal Code is amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“TITLE 6. SANITATION AND HEALTH CHAPTER 15. VENTURA
COUNTY WATERWORKS DISTRICT NO. 8 (WWD8) BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLIES INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE AND TESTING; AND
PROHIBITION OF CROSS-CONNECTIONS.
Article 1. – General
The Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 (District) is a water purveyor that serves customers within the City of Simi Valley and some unincorporated areas of 2 Ventura County. Prior to A ssembly Bill 1671 and the Cross -Connection Control Policy Handbook (CCCPH), adopted December 19, 2023 and effective July 1, 2024, California’s regulations pertaining to cross -connection control were set forth in regulations in the California Code of Regulations ( CCR), Title 17. The CCCPH and its standards apply to all California public water systems, as defined in California’s Health and Safety Code (CHSC, section 116275(h)). All water purveyors are required to protect the quality and safety of their potable water supplies from potential backflow from customer properties into a water purveyor’s water distribution system. Such backflow can cause contamination or pollution of the potable water supply posing a public health risk. Furthermore, water purveyors are also required to prohibit cross -connections between a customer’s potable water system and other customer systems containing non- potable water or other fluids that could potentially backflow into the water purveyor’s potable water distribution system.
Section 6-15.01 – Purpose and Intent
The District shall protect the public water supply from contamination by the implementation of a cross -connection control program. The program, or any portion thereof, may be implemented directly by the District or by means of a contract with a certified cross-connection control specialist. The District’s cross -connection control program shall be for the purpose of addressing the requirements of CCCPH.
The purpose of this chapter is to:
a) Establish a cross-connection control program and meet the mandates of public health law concerning drinking water supplies as outlined in the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act and in CCCPH;
b) Protect the District’s potable water supply from actual and potential cross - connection by isolating within the pr operty any contamination or pollution that could backflow into the water supply system via an undiscovered or unauthorized cross-connection on the property;
c) Provide for the maintenance of a continuing cross-connection control program that will systematically and effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of all potable water systems;
d) Eliminate existing unprotected connections between drinking water systems and other sources of water that are not approved as potable and safe for human consumption;
e) Eliminate cross -connections between drinking water systems and other sources of water or process water used for any purpose whatsoever that may jeopardize the safety of the potable water system;
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f) Prohibit cross-connections in the future.
The intent is to recognize that there are varying degrees of cross-connection hazards and to apply the principle that the degree of protection should be commensurate with the degree of hazard.
Section 6-15.02 – Definitions
The following terms are defined for the purpose of this ordinance and supported by additional definitions in Section 3.1.1 of the CCCPH:
a) “Backflow” shall mean the reverse flow of water, or any other fluid or substance or any combination or any mixture thereof, from the customer’s system into the District’s potable water distribution system.
b) “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8.
c) “Backflow Prevention Assembly” shall mean an assembly that protects the District’s potable distribution system from backflow.
d) “Certified tester” shall mean a person able to field test and make reports on backflow prevention assemblies possessing a valid certification issued by a certifying organization recognized by the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board).
e) “City” shall mean the City of Simi Valley.
f) “Cross-Connection” shall mean any actual or potential connection between the District’s potable water system and any source or system containing unapproved water or a substance that is not or cannot be approved as safe, wholesome, and potable.
g) “Cross-Connection Control Specialist” shall mean a person certified as a cross- connection control specialist and possessing a valid certification from a certifying organization by the State Water Board.
h) “Customer or responsible party” shall mean any person that either has applied for water service from the District, or owns or controls water piping or fixtures served by the District’s water supply. The terms customer and responsible party have the same meaning.
i) “Director” shall mean the City of Simi Valley’s Public Works’ Director.
j) “District” shall mean the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8, or its authorized representative.
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k) “District Engineer” shall mean the Assistant Public Works Director of Utilities Engineering of the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8.
l) “District Manager” shall mean the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 Manager.
m) “Service Area” shall mean areas in which the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 provides potable water service within the City of Simi Valley and some unincorporated areas of Ventura County.
n) “Service Connection” shall mean the point of connection of a customer’s system to the District’s water system.
o) “Water system” shall mean the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 potable water system.
Section 6-15.03 – General Requirements
a) Backflow prevention assemblies shall be required per Section 6-15.04.
b) Backflow prevention assemblies must be approved by the University of Southern California’s Foundation for Cross -Connection Control and Hydraulic Research.
c) B ackflow prevention assemblies are owned and maintained by the customer.
d) C ustomer shall have required backflow prevention assemblies installed in accordance with the District’s Water Design and Construction Standards , Section 6-15.07 of this Ordinance, and the California Uniform Plumbing Code.
e) C ustomer shall be responsible for inspections, repairs, and proper testing of all backflow prevention assemblies installed on their property in accordance with Section 6-15-.08 of this Ordinance.
f) Customer shall permit the District , the cross- connection control specialist , and/or a certified tester, to enter customer’s property within the normal working hours of the District, or in case of emergency, at any time, to test or inspect the backflow prevention assembly.
g) Customer shall be responsible for obtaining the required permits to install or replace a backflow prevention assembly.
h) Backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed on private property, as close as practical to the meter, but no further than ten (10) feet from the public-right- of way or District’s easement.
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i) A property with multiple domestic service connections to the water system shall have a backflow prevention assembly installed on each service connection, if required. All service connections shall be protected to the highest degree found during the hazard assessment.
Section 6-15.04 – Hazard Assessments
The District has jurisdiction and maintains the water system up to and including the water meter that provides service to a property. All piping beyond the water meter , including backflow prevention assemblies, shall be the responsibility of the customer.
a) Per Section 3.2.1 of the CCCPH, an initial hazard assessment to evaluate the potential for backflow into a public water system must be conducted. The assessment will include an inspection of the customer’s property within its system service area.
The hazard assessment must consider:
1) The existence of cross-connections;
2) The type and use of materials handled and present, or likely to be, on the customer’s property;
3) T he degree of piping system complexity and accessibility; 4) A ccess to auxiliary water supplies, pumping systems, or pressure systems; 5) Distribution system conditions that increase the likelihood of a backflow event (e.g., hydraulic gradient differences impacted by main breaks and high water demand situations, multiple service connections that may result in flow-through conditions, etc.);
6) Customer’s property accessibility;
7) A ny previous backflow incidents on the customer’s property; and 8) T he requirements and information provided in the CCCPH.
Within five (5) business days from receiving notification, the water service customer shall grant designated / contract water staff access to the property and buildings. Failure to provide access may result in water termination.
b) Each hazard assessment must identify the degree of hazard to the public water systems distribution system as either a high hazard cross -connection, a low hazard cross connection, or having no hazard. Examples of some high hazard cross-connection activities may be found in Appendix D of the CCCPH.
c) The hazard assessment must determine whether an existing BPA, if any, provides adequate protection based on the degree of hazard.
d) Hazard assessments completed prior to the adoption of the CCCPH may be considered as an initial hazard assessment , provided that such hazard assessments and associated backflow protection provide protection consistent with the CCCPH and the public water systems describe their review of these assessments in the Cross-Connection Control Plan required in CCCPH Section
3.1.4. e) Subsequent to the initial hazard assessment described in subsection (a), a community water system must perform a hazard assessment under the following criteria:
6 ORD. NO. WWD-19
1) I f a customer’s property changes account holder, excluding single -family residences;
2) I f a customer’s property is new or re-connected to the public water systems; 3) I f evidence exists of changes in the activities or materials on a customer’s property;
4) I f a backflow incident occurs from a customer’s property; 5) P eriodically, as identified in the public water systems Cross-Connection Control Plan required pursuant to CCCPH section 3.1.4.; 6) I f the State Water Board requests a hazard assessment of a customer’s property;
7) I f the public water systems conclude an existing hazard assessment may no longer accurately represent the degree of hazard.
f) A cross-connection control specialist must review or conduct each initial and follow up hazard assessment pursuant to this section and make a written finding that, in the specialist’s judgment based on cross -connection control principles, the public water systems hazard assessment properly identified all hazards at the time of the assessment, the appropriate degree of hazards, and the corresponding backflow protection.
Section 6-15.05 – Temporary Water Service Connections
The District may require appropriate b ackflow prevention assemblies to be installed and tested for all temporary water service connections to eliminate the potential for any backflow.
Section 6-15.06 – Booster Pumps
For properties having private booster pumps to address low water pressure or special operations, the booster pump shall be equipped with a low-pressure cutoff switch designed to shut off the pump when the water pressure on the inlet side is 25 pounds - per-square-inch or lower.
Private booster pump installations within the City of Simi Valley shall be subject to approval by the Environmental Services Department, Building and Safety Division.
Private booster pump installations outside of the City of Simi Valley boundary, but within the District’s service area shall be subject to approval by the Ventura County Building and Safety Division.
Section 6-15.07 – Installation
a) Backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed in accordance with the CCCPH, the Waterworks District No. 8 Water and Design Construction Standards (WDCS), the California Uniform Plumbing Code, and the most recent edition of the USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research.
7 ORD. NO. WWD-19
b) W hen a new water service is requested for a proposed development , the District will review the application to determine the required type of backflow prevention assembly. It shall be the customer’s responsibility and expense to have the required backflow prevention assembly installed. No connections shall be permitted between the water meter and the backflow prevention assembly.
c) A n existing backflow prevention assembly that does not provide adequate protection for the degree of potential hazard from backflow must be replaced at the customer’s expense.
d) No modifications to, or removals of approved backflow prevention assemblies shall be permitted unless approved by the District in writing.
e) All newly installed and approved backflow prevention assemblies must be tested and certified as functioning properly prior to the water service being turned on.
Section 6-15.08 –Testing
a) Approved backflow prevention assemblies shall be tested by a certified tester using test procedures outlined in the most recent edition of the Manual of Cross - Connection Control published by the USC Foundation for Cross -Connection Control and Hydraulic Research.
b) Backflow prevention assemblies shall be tested at least annually, or more frequently if determined necessary by the cross-connection control specialist. The District shall notify customers when annual testing is required, and the notice shall contain the date when the test must be completed, and test results submitted.
c) Backflow prevention assemblies that fail to pass testing shall be repaired and retested immediately, at the expense of the customer. The backflow prevention assembly must not be placed in service unless the assembly is functioning as required.
d) For backflow prevention assemblies that fail to pass inspection and testing, the District reserves the right to require more frequent testing or to perform additional testing by a certified tester when the District determines it to be in the public interest. Customer shall bear the cost of additional tests.
e) If customers do not test their backflow prevention assembly and their assembly is out of compliance with the annual test requirement, the District reserves the right to have the assembly tested by a certified tester and charge the customer accordingly. Charges shall consist of a penalty fee, an inspection fee, testing fee, and any associated costs of repairing/replacing the backflow prevention assembly.
f) The certified tester must complete and upload the assembly test report to the public water service backflow portal demonstrating testing and inspection compliance within 30 days of the annual notice. If the certified tester does not 8 ORD. NO. WWD-19
submit the test results within 30 days, the District shall assess a penalty fee and send a second notice to the customer. The second notice shall notify the customer that water service to the property will be terminated if test results are not submitted by the date specified on the second notice.
g) The customer shall at all times maintain the backflow prevention assembly in proper working order and provide unobstructed access to the District, cross - connection control specialist, and certified tester.
Section 6-15.09– Prohibition of Cross-Connections
a) Where a property has alternative water sources or operate processes that utilize non-potable water or other fluids, cross -connections from these sources or facilities are prohibited. For properties within the City bound ary, the City of Simi Valley’s Building and Safety Division shall inspect and approve all on-site plumbing downstream of the District -required backflow prevention assemblies and ensure that there are no such cross -connections. For properties outside of the City boundary but within the District’s service area, the Ventura County Building and Safety Division shall conduct the inspection.
b) The customer shall secure a Building Permit from their respective Building and Safety Divisions to ensure the required inspection and approval prior to modifying on-site plumbing that may result in a cross-connection.
c) The cross-connection control specialist shall have access to inspect on- site facilities to check for cross -connections and to determine if the potable water system is protected from backflow.
Section 6-15.10– Penalties
a) For each water customer that fails to have a satisfactory hazard assessment performed, for each water customer that fails to have the appropriate required backflow prevention assembly installed or replaced, and for each backflow prevention assembly that is out of compliance with the annual test requirement, the District shall, as necessary, apply any of the following enforcement measures:
1) Deny or discontinue water service to a water user
2) Use of penalty fine(s) on water users, per the current fees in the City of Simi Valley’s Summary of Service of Charges
3) Install, inspect, field test, and/or maintain a BPA at a water user’s premises and charge the customer a penalty fee equivalent to the full cost recovery of all materials and staff time per the current fees in the City of Simi Valley’s Summary of Service of Charges.”
SECTION 3: Construction. This Ordinance must be broadly construed to achieve the purposes stated in this Ordinance. It is the City Council’s intent that the provisions of this Ordinance be interpreted or implemented by the City and others in a manner that facilitates the purposes set forth in this Ordinance.
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SECTION 4: Renumbering. All provisions of the Simi Valley Municipal Code this Ordinance affects are appropriately renumbered.
SECTION 5: Summaries of Information. All summaries of information in the findings herein are based on the substantial evidence in the record. The absence of any particular fact from any such summary is not an indication that a particular finding is not based in part on that fact.
SECTION 6: Severability. If any part of this Ordinance or its application is deemed invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the City Council intends that such invalidity will not affect the effectiveness of the remaining provisions or applications and, to this end, this Ordinance’s provisions are severable.
SECTION 7: Recordation. The City Clerk, or designee, is directed to certify the passage and adoption of this Ordinance; cause it to be entered into the City of Simi Valley’s book of original ordinances; make a note of the passage and adoption of this Ordinance; and cause it to be published or posted in accordance with California law.
SECTION 8: Effective Date. This ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and effect at 12:01 a.m. on the thirty -first (31st) day after its passage, and the fees and charges shall apply on the effective date.
PASSED and ADOPTED this ____ day of _________ 2025.
ATTEST:
Lucy Blanco, District Secretary Dee Dee Cavanaugh, Chair of the Ventura County Waterworks District
No. 8
Approved as to Form: Approved as to Content:
Algeria R. Ford, District Attorney Samantha C. Argabrite, District Manager
_________________________________
Ronald K. Fuchiwaki
Public Works Director
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