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La Puente staff outline state-mandated backflow upgrades, plan recycled-water extension to protect parks
Summary
A water-district presenter told the La Puente City Council that commercial properties must replace single-check backflow devices with double-check devices by 2034 under a state push; staff said recycled-water expansion to La Puente High School and La Puente Park would exempt those sites from the mandate.
A water-district representative told the La Puente City Council that the state is moving to require commercial properties to replace older single-check backflow valves with double-check devices to prevent potable-water contamination.
The presenter (speaker 1) said the change reduces the risk that private-side failures will allow water to flow back into the public potable system and that the state's timeline targets completion by 2034. "So nowadays what we call a double check ... the probability of that failing is very low," he said, noting municipalities and businesses will need to budget for the retrofits.
Councilmember David (speaker 4) and other members pressed for enforcement clarity. The presenter said the State Water Resources Control Board is the enforcing authority and that local purveyors may adopt ordinances; he said the city's board has already adopted rules prohibiting potable water for specified green-space uses but added that it is not yet clear whether the state will conduct on-site verification or levy fines consistently.
The presenter also emphasized that the mandate does not apply to recycled water. He described the district's existing recycled-water system on the south side (serving Hacienda and Don Julian) and outlined a Phase 2 plan to extend recycled service to La Puente High School and La Puente Park to serve high-irrigation users. "By doing that, that brings a solution that you don't have to give up that green space because it'll ultimately be served through recycled water," he said.
The council asked about a long-vacant filtration site near Pointe; the presenter said that site is managed by San Gabriel Valley Water Company in coordination with the responsible party (PRP) tied to contamination at the location and that the company has not yet completed a treatment plant.
Why it matters: The upgrades will impose costs on commercial property owners and municipalities, but extending recycled-water service to key parks and the high school would preserve public green space while meeting state rules. The council asked staff for additional implementation details and outreach to affected properties.
