The Village of Mackinaw City Water System is committed to providing customers with safe and reliable drinking water. Safeguarding the drinking water is everyone’s responsibility. As part of the Water System’s responsibility, it has a cross connection control program to help protect the drinking (potable) water supply from contamination due to cross connections.
What is a Cross Connection?
A cross connection is a connection or arrangement of piping through which water of a questionable quality, wastes, or other contaminants could enter the potable water supply due to a reversal of flow.
What is the Law?
The Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act requires water utilities to have comprehensive cross connection control programs for the elimination and prevention of all cross connections.
Customers are required to maintain their water systems in a manner free of cross connections. If a backflow incident should occur resulting in contamination of the public water supply, the responsible owner or occupant could be held liable for damages.
What is being done to prevent Cross Connections?
Village of Mackinaw City Ordinance No. 87 as amended provides the authority to the Village to administer a cross connection control program. The Village conducts periodic inspections of commercial and industrial properties to identify and document cross connections. Cross connection control devices are inventoried and placed on a schedule to be tested. The Village notifies properties of their testing schedule and requires documentation to be submitted. Testing must be administered by an individual who has obtained a cross connection control “Certificate of Award” from the Michigan Plumbing board. Please contact your local plumber to inquire their testing certification.
If your business installs a new cross connection control device please register the device with the following form and return to the Village:
Cross Connection Control Device Registration Form
Residents should conduct periodic inspections of their properties to identify possible cross connections. The following are some examples of where cross connections can exist:
- Hose connections
- Lawn irrigation system
- Toilet fill valves
- Chemical aspirators
- Boilers• Cooling towers
- Swimming pools
- Water operated sump pumps
- Water softeners
- Fire sprinkler systems
Hose connections• Lawn irrigation systems• Toilet fill valves• Chemical aspirators• Boilers• Cooling towers• Swimming pools• Water operated sump pumps• Water softeners• Fire sprinkler systems
Cross connections can be eliminated by maintaining approved air gaps or by the installation of specific backflow prevention devices. For example, a cross connection at a hose connection can be eliminated by installing a hose connection vacuum breaker that conforms to ASSE 1011 on the hose bib before the hose is connected. A cross connection in a toilet tank can be eliminated by the installation of an anti-siphon fill valve that conforms to ASSE 1002 Lawn irrigation systems require backflow prevention devices to be installed at the point of connection to the potable water system. Periodic testing of these and other devices are required.
For further information or assistance regarding cross connections, please contact the water department staff.
Access the Village's Cross Connection Control Program document below:
Cross Connection Control Program
