Cross-Connection Control Program

In order to protect the City of West Richland water supply, the City established a Cross-Connection Control Program through Ordinance 7-08, codified in the West Richland Municipal Code 13.50 in accordance with the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 246-290-490.

These state and local laws require the City to have all premises surveyed by a licensed cross-connection specialist to assess any hazards that may be present. We may protect the City water supply by having a premise owner install a backflow assembly. In most cases, we rely on "in-premise fixture protection", as we do on your underground sprinkler system. In-premise fixture protection protects the water users as well as the City water system. In rare instances, we use "premise isolation" to completely separate the water system from any possible cross-connections. Premise isolation protects the City water system but not the water users in that premise and is used when frequent plumbing changes may endanger the water system.