Cross-Connection Control Program (CCP)

Safeguarding our drinking water is everyone's responsibility. Cross connections between water supplies and sources of contamination represent one of the most significant threats to health in the water supply industry.

The City of Pitt Meadows is committed to providing our citizens with safe, reliable drinking water in accordance with the Drinking Water Protection Act, and has implemented a Cross-Connection Control Program (CCP). The CCP ensures the delivery of safe drinking water by eliminating actual and/or potential cross connections within the City's water distribution system by requiring the installation of approved backflow prevention devices on private and/or public properties.

The standard operating policies including the backflow prevention device, installation, testing and maintenance practices and procedures for the CCP are set out in the City of Pitt Meadows Cross-Connection Control Policy C022. The City's CCP was established in November 2010.

Funding Opportunity: Provincial Beneficial Management Practices Program

Under the updated Provincial Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) Program (Water Infrastructure), funding is available to eligible farmers for backflow prevention devices to protect the municipal water supply. Previously, backflow prevention devices to protect a municipal water supply were not included under the program.

The BMP Program is an application-based funding program administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC, which can provide cost-share funding to farmers that have an approved and valid Environmental Farm Plan, along with other eligibility criteria. Farmers are responsible for submitting the funding application, and applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

For the current program: 

  • Applications open on Tuesday, January 14, 2025; and
  • Applications close on Friday, February 21, 2025. 

Learn more about the BMP Program, including the application client portal.

About the BMP Program

How Backflow Can Cause Contamination

Your Responsibility
Property owners and occupants have a responsibility to ensure that no cross connections exist on their property, as stated in the Waterworks Bylaw No. 2891, 2021.

Other responsibilities include:

CCP Implementation
Currently, the City is in the process of assessing water service connections to determine compliance with the backflow prevention requirements, and are contacting property owners regarding installation obligations. This involves a desktop assessment of what connections the property has and what the property is zoned, to evaluate the potential risk. Program implementation is currently focused on the higher hazard water use properties, including agricultural and industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) properties.

Agricultural Properties
Properties with agricultural uses/activities, or other severe risk activities, require a Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly (RPBA). Note that it does not matter how small or large the agricultural activities are, if you have irrigation or not, or what commodity is being grown, an RPBA is required.

Properties that generally contain a single-family residence with no agricultural uses/activities, or any other severe risk activities, require, at a minimum, a Double Check Valve Assembly (DCVA). An annual declaration from the property owner confirming that there are no ‘severe’ risk uses/activities on the site will be required with the annual testing submission. If uses/activities change and increase the degree of hazard, this could trigger the need for the higher grade RPBA device. Property owners may still choose to implement the RPBA if they wish to forgo the annual declaration and potential future upgrades. Should you already have a DCVA and do not have any ‘severe’ risk uses/activities, a declaration is still required by the City at this time.

A list of severe risk activities can be found in the annual declaration.

Contact Information
The City of Pitt Meadows Building Department is responsible for administering the Cross-Connection Control Program and can be contacted at 604-465-2428 or building@pittmeadows.ca.

Installing a new Backflow Prevention Assembly?
Prior to installation of a backflow prevention assembly, you are required to complete a building permit application. Once the installation of the device is complete, it will need to be inspected.  At the time of inspection, a Backflow Assembly Report will be required.  Please call 604-465-2428 to schedule your inspection.

Backflow Assembly Report

General FAQs

Permitting and Testing FAQs

Other FAQs

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