Hickory council adopts ordinance to formalize backflow-prevention program for city water system

The Hickory City Council on April 15 approved an ordinance to codify the city’s existing backflow-prevention program for the municipal water system, giving the Public Utilities Department clearer enforcement authority and requiring customer testing and maintenance of backflow devices.

The ordinance “to take the public water supply from actual potential contamination of pollution, from the the customer side of the meter to prevent, backflow into the system,” Public Utilities Director Will Hamlin told the council during the departmental report.

Why it matters: Backflow — when water or other substances flow from a customer connection back into the public distribution system — can occur during pressure drops (back-siphonage) or when customer-side pumps or tanks push water back into mains (back pressure). The ordinance aims to reduce the risk of contaminants from irrigation systems, wells, industrial processes and other nonpotable sources entering the public supply.

Hamlin summarized the key elements the ordinance formalizes: definitions of cross-connections and backflow; examples of protection such as an air gap and mechanical backflow-prevention assemblies; customer responsibilities to maintain and test devices (typically annually); and new enforcement tools for the utility, including corrective orders, fines and, if necessary, termination of service until hazards are corrected.

“This ordinance gives us the ability to do that to protect the, public water supply,” Hamlin said, describing why staff sought the code change rather than relying solely on plumbing-code requirements.

Hamlin told the council the city already manages a list of roughly 350 backflow assemblies and receives annual test results from customers, but the ordinance would provide explicit authority for inspections, corrective action and enforcement when customers do not comply. He said typical high-risk customers include restaurants, medical facilities, manufacturing sites and irrigation connections; single-family residences are less likely to require assemblies unless specific cross-connection risks exist.

Council members asked how hazards are identified and monitored. Hamlin explained that triggers include permit reviews (new construction or a change of use), customer-submitted inspection reports and reported concerns about suspected cross-connections. He said the utility performs sampling on distribution mains but does not sample inside private facilities; compliance inspections and test records are the primary means for verifying device performance.

The council voted unanimously to approve the action on the departmental report, with the mayor calling for the motion and the measure carrying without recorded dissent.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes from the council’s April regular meeting — motion carried unanimously (motion text: approve minutes; mover/second: not specified in transcript). - Reaffirmation/ratification on second readings (item listed on agenda) — carried unanimously (motion text: not specified). - Consent agenda (multiple routine items) — carried unanimously (no items removed). - Departmental report: ordinance to amend City Code to enact a backflow-prevention program — moved and approved unanimously (motion text not read into record verbatim). - Appointments to boards and commissions — no appointments made. - Adjournment — carried unanimously.

What the ordinance requires (clarifying points discussed)

- Customer responsibilities: maintain backflow-prevention assemblies, arrange annual testing, and repair malfunctioning devices at their expense; testing results are submitted to the Public Utilities Department. - Enforcement tools for the city: inspection entry authority, corrective orders, fines and potential termination of service where hazards persist. - Typical covered connections: commercial or industrial uses (restaurants, medical, manufacturing), irrigation taps and certain bulk-meter connections the city supplies to other municipalities. - Program scope today: city staff track about 350 assemblies in the existing program; the ordinance formalizes the program’s legal basis and enforcement authorities.

Background and next steps

Hamlin said the requirements largely reflect existing plumbing-code expectations but that placing the program into the City Code gives the utility “teeth” to enforce compliance. Staff described the ordinance as a formalization of existing practice rather than a new set of technical requirements; council action at the meeting approved the change in the code. The city manager and utilities staff will continue outreach to affected customers about testing and compliance requirements.

The council meeting also included proclamations and ceremonial recognitions unrelated to the water utility item.