Austin City Code § 15-1-1 APPLICABILITY.
§ 15-1-1 - APPLICABILITY.
This chapter applies to a person or public water system receiving potable water from the City.
Source: Ord. No. 20250410-002, Pt. 1, 4-21-25.
GENERAL PROVISIONS.
Austin City Code tit. 15, ch. 15-1, art. 1
in effectAustin City Code § 15-1-2 DEFINITIONS.
§ 15-1-2 - DEFINITIONS.
In this chapter:
(1) AIR GAP means the unobstructed vertical distance through the free atmosphere between the lowest opening from any pipe or faucet conveying water to the flood level rim of a tank, fixture, receptor, sink, or other appurtenance.
(2) ALTERNATE WATER SUPPLY or ALTERNATE WATER SOURCE means a water supply from a source other than the City's potable water supply.
(3) BACKSIPHONAGE means the flowing back of used, contaminated, or polluted water from a plumbing fixture or vessel into a water supply pipe due to a pressure less than atmospheric in such pipe.
(4) BACKFLOW means the flow of water or other liquids, mixtures, gases, or substances into the distribution pipes of a potable supply of water from sources other than its intended source.
(5) BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLY means an aggregation of devices, as defined by the Manual of Cross-Connection Control, designed to prevent backflow into the potable water system or the public water system, including a reduced pressure principle backflow assembly, reduced pressure principle detector backflow prevention assembly types 1 and 2, double-check valve backflow prevention assembly, double check valve detector backflow prevention assembly types 1 and 2, pressure vacuum breaker assembly, or spill-resistant pressure vacuum breaker backflow prevention assembly.
(6) BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE means a device designed to prevent backflow into the potable water system.
(7) BACKPRESSURE means hydraulic or atmospheric pressure higher than the supply pressure.
(8) COMMISSION means the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
(9) CONTAINMENT PROTECTION means an approved backflow prevention assembly or air gap installed on the customer's water supply line immediately downstream of the water meter.
(10) CONTAMINATION means an impairment of the quality of the potable water that creates an actual hazard to the public health through poisoning or through the spread of disease by sewage, industrial fluids, or waste. This includes high hazard or health hazard.
(11) CROSS-CONNECTION means a physical connection to a potable water system through which it is possible to introduce a health hazard or a non-health hazard.
(12) CUSTOMER means:
(a) an individual, partnership, association, firm, public or private corporation, governmental authority, or other legal entity that receives City utility service at a service address;
(b) an owner of property that is connected to the City's utility service at a service address; or
(c) a person who receives the benefit of the City's utility service.
(13) DIRECTOR means the director of Austin Water or their designee.
(14) FLOW-THROUGH means a hydraulic condition on sites with interconnected water service connections that results in any interconnected meter registering reverse flow.
(15) MANUAL OF CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL means the latest edition of the University of Southern California's Manual of Cross-Connection Control.
(16) ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM means an onsite water reuse system that collects, treats and uses alternative water sources for non-potable uses at the building to district or neighborhood scale, generally at a location near the point of generation.
(17) PLUMBING SYSTEM means all:
(a) potable water, building supply, and distribution pipes;
(b) plumbing fixtures and traps;
(c) drainage and vent pipes; and
(d) building drains and building sewers, including their respective joints and connections, devices, receptors, and appurtenances within the property lines of the premises and includes potable water piping, alternate water source systems, irrigation systems, potable water treating or using equipment, medical gas and medical vacuum systems, liquid and fuel gas piping, and water heaters and vents for same.
(18) POLLUTION means a cross-connection or other situation involving any substance that generally will not be a health hazard, but will constitute a nuisance, or be aesthetically objectionable, if introduced into the potable drinking water supply. This includes a low hazard or non-health hazard.
(19) POTABLE ALTERNATE WATER SYSTEM means a plumbing system that has an alternate water as its source and meets the standard of potable water.
(20) POTABLE RAINWATER SYSTEM means a potable alternate water system that collects, stores, uses, and treats rainwater from a rooftop or other manmade aboveground collection surface and meets the standard of potable water.
(21) POTABLE WATER means water that complies with the rules of the Commission and Austin Public Health for human consumption and other domestic uses.
(22) PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM means a system for the provision of piped water for human consumption as defined in 30 T.A.C. Section 290.38 (Definitions).
(23) RECLAIMED WATER means domestic or municipal wastewater which has been treated to a quality suitable for a beneficial use, pursuant to the provisions of 30 T.A.C. Chapter 321 and other applicable rules and permits.
(24) SERVICE CONNECTION means the point of connection between the public water system and the customer's water system.
(25) SINGLE-CHECK VALVE means an independently acting internally loaded check valve.
(26) TESTABLE CHECK VALVE means a single check valve installed after the meter and property owner's cut off valve with a test port installed between the check valve and the property owner's cut off valve.
(27) TESTER means a person licensed by the State of Texas and registered with Austin Water as a backflow prevention assembly tester, customer service inspector, plumbing inspector or water supply protection specialist.
(28) USED WATER means water supplied by a public water system to a customer's water system that has passed through the service connection and is no longer under the control of the water purveyor.
(29) UTILITY means Austin Water.
Source: Ord. No. 20250410-002, Pt. 1, 4-21-25.
Austin City Code § 15-1-3 RULEMAKING.
§ 15-1-3 - RULEMAKING.
The director may adopt rules under Chapter 1-2 (Adoption of Rules) to implement and interpret this chapter that are not in conflict with this chapter, the Plumbing Code, the Commission's rules and regulations for public water systems and applicable state and federal law.
Source: Ord. No. 20250410-002, Pt. 1, 4-21-25.
Austin City Code § 15-1-4 FEES.
§ 15-1-4 - FEES.
Council shall set the fees authorized by this chapter by separate ordinance.
Source: Ord. No. 20250410-002, Pt. 1, 4-21-25.
Source: City of Austin, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT15UTRE_CH15-1CRNNRE_ART1GEPRFetched: 10/27/2026