Board extends deadline for private fire-lateral single-check upgrades to 2034; staff told to coordinate with fire agencies

The Sweetwater Authority Board of Directors voted April 23 to extend the compliance deadline for private fire-service lateral single-check upgrades and to align the authority's deadline with the State Water Resources Control Board requirement of July 1, 2034.

The item addressed private fire laterals and single check valves that staff said may present cross-contamination risk to the public water system. The general manager explained that the authority and the state have been working on the issue since 2018 after identifying about 380 private fire laterals built with single check valves that do not meet current backflow-prevention expectations.

Why it matters: Single check valves on private fire laterals can be inaccessible and may fail with age, creating a risk of backflow into the public distribution system. The State Water Resources Control Board set a statewide requirement for double check backflow devices on such laterals with a compliance date of July 1, 2034; Sweetwater staff recommended aligning the authority's deadline with the state.

Board discussion and vote

Staff noted the board initially set an upgrade program and that a prior board extension had moved the compliance date…