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City staff urges inspections, homeowner action after new state backflow and vacuum‑breaker rules
Summary
Utilities staff told the council that an estimated 13 connections in Mona lack required backflow assemblies; the state also now requires atmospheric vacuum breakers on outdoor taps. Staff recommended notifying High Meadows and Ludlow's residents and verifying compliance before a July sanitary survey.
Utilities staff told the council work session on April 22 that the state now requires backflow assemblies on certain service connections and that Mona must complete many retrofits before a sanitary survey scheduled for July.
"All of the houses... that have their straight lines hooked to their culinary water, there needs to be a backflow assembly," the utilities staff said, summarizing recent regulatory guidance. Staff estimated "about 13" connections across High Meadows, parts of another subdivision and several older lots may still need assemblies. Per the staff estimate, assemblies range from about $350 to $450 each, producing a total retrofit cost in the range of $42,300 to $47,300 for all affected connections if the city were to purchase and install them on every property staff identified.
Staff also said the state introduced a requirement for an atmospheric vacuum breaker (AVB) on exterior taps and sprinkler connections; the AVBs discussed by staff are inexpensive — roughly $34 each — and the staff recommended homeowners fit them where required. Utilities staff stressed urgency because Mona’s sanitary survey is expected in July: "We really need to get those all taken care of before our sanitary survey in July."
Councilmembers directed staff to send a targeted notice to High Meadows and to Ludlow's residents asking whether they have the required devices and to request permission for city staff to inspect assemblies. Staff said they will prepare a concise notice (including the relevant statute reference and a photo) rather than the longer eight‑page regulatory packet they assembled for internal use.
Why it matters: Backflow assemblies and AVBs prevent lawn irrigation and other non‑potable water from contaminating the culinary supply. The state can penalize noncompliant systems, and widespread regulatory failures can lead to state intervention in a municipal water system.
What happens next: Staff will prepare and send a short notice to affected neighborhoods, compile an inspection list by June or July and report back to council on compliance and estimated costs for remediation.
