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TITLE 30ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
PART 1TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
CHAPTER 210USE OF RECLAIMED WATER
SUBCHAPTER BGENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PRODUCTION, CONVEYANCE, AND USE OF RECLAIMED WATER
RULE §210.25Special Design Criteria for Reclaimed Water Systems

(a) All hose bibs and faucets shall be painted purple and designed to prevent connection to a standard water hose. Hose bibs shall be located in locked, below grade vaults which shall be clearly labeled as being of non-potable quality. As an alternative to the use of locked, below grade vaults with standard hose bibs services, hose bibs may be placed in a non-lockable service box which can only be operated by a special tool so long as the hose bib is clearly labeled as non-potable water, in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.

(b) One of the following requirements must be met by the user or provider, for any area where reclaimed water is stored or where there exist hose bibs or faucets:

  (1) Signs having a minimum size of eight inches by eight inches, as shown in Figure 1, shall be posted at all storage areas and on all hose bibs and faucets reading, in both English and Spanish, "Reclaimed Water, Do Not Drink" or similar warning.

Attached Graphic   (2) The area shall be secured to prevent access by the public.

(c) Reclaimed water piping shall be separated from potable water piping by a horizontal distance of at least nine feet. Where the nine foot separation distance cannot be achieved, the reclaimed water piping must meet the line separation requirements of Chapter 290 of this title (relating to Water Hygiene).

(d) Where a reclaimed water line parallels a sewer line, the reclaimed water line shall be constructed in accordance with subsection (e) or (f) of this section. The horizontal separation distance shall be three feet (outside to outside) with the reclaimed water line at the level of or above the sewer line. Reclaimed water lines which parallel sewer lines may be placed in the same benched trench. Where a reclaimed water line crosses a sewer line, the requirements of §290.44(e)(5)(B) of this title (relating to Location of Water Lines) shall be followed, with "reclaimed water line" substituted in §290.44(e) of this title (relating to Location of Water Lines) for "water line."

(e) Reclaimed water lines which transport reclaimed water under pressure shall be sized according to acceptable engineering practices for the needs of the reclaimed water users. The designer shall consider methods to prevent or maintain lines to mitigate the effect of the deposition of solids in such lines. Pipe specified for reclaimed water force mains shall be of a type having an expected life at least as long as that of the lift station and shall be suitable for the reclaimed water being pumped and operating pressure to which it will be subjected. All pipe shall be identified in the technical specifications with appropriate American Society for Testing and Materials, American National Standard Institute, or American Water Works Association (AWWA) standard numbers for both quality control (dimensions, tolerance, and installation such as bedding or backfill). All pipes and fittings shall have a minimum working pressure rating of 150 pounds per square inch. Final plans and specifications shall describe required pressure testing for all installed reclaimed water force mains. Minimum test pressure shall be 1.5 times the maximum design pressure. Allowable leakage rates shall be determined as described in §317.2(d)(4) of this title (relating to Pressure Sewer Systems).

(f) Gravity flow reclaimed water lines shall meet the requirements of §317.2(a) of this title (relating to General Requirements) and §317.2(c) of this title (relating to High Velocity Protection). The designer shall consider methods to prevent high velocity scour or maintain line fluid velocity to mitigate the effects of the deposition of solids in the gravity conveyance.

(g) All exposed piping and piping within a building shall be either purple pipe or painted purple. All buried piping installed after the effective date of these rules shall be one of the following: manufactured in purple, painted purple, taped with purple metallic tape, or bagged in purple. All exposed piping should be stenciled in white with a warning reading "NON-POTABLE WATER." All exposed or buried reclaimed water piping constructed at a wastewater treatment facility is exempt from the color coding requirements of this section.

(h) When applicable, in accordance with §317.1(a)(3)-(4) of this title, (relating to General Provisions), the design of distribution systems which will convey reclaimed water to a user shall be submitted to the executive director and must receive an approval. The design of the distribution systems must meet the requirements of Chapter 317 of this title (relating to Design Criteria for Sewerage Systems). Where a municipality is the plan review authority for certain sewer systems which transport primarily domestic waste, in accordance with §317.1(a)(5) of this title, in lieu of the commission, design submittal will not be subject to submittal to the commission and instead must be approved by the municipality. Materials shall be submitted for approval by the executive director in accordance with the Texas Engineering Practice Act (Article 3271a, Vernon's Annotated Texas Statutes).

(i) All ground level and elevated storage tanks shall be designed, installed, and constructed in accordance with current AWWA standards with reference to materials to be used and construction practices to be followed, except for health-based standards strictly related to potable water storage and contact practices, where appropriately less restrictive standards may be applied.


Source Note: The provisions of this §210.25 adopted to be effective February 12, 1997, 22 TexReg 1103.

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