The Okeechobee Utility Authority (OUA), PWSID 4470257, has the responsibility to protect itself from contamination caused by cross-connections on customers’ premises.  A cross-connection is defined in Rule 62-550.200, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), as follows:

“CROSS-CONNECTION” means any physical arrangement whereby a public water supply is connected, directly or indirectly, with any other water supply system, sewer, drain, conduit, pool, storage reservoir, plumbing fixture, or other device which contains or may contain contaminated water, sewage or other waste, or liquid of unknown or unsafe quality which may be capable of imparting contamination to the public water supply as the result of backflow.  By-pass arrangements, jumper connections, removable sections, swivel or changeable devices, and other temporary or permanent devices through which or because of which backflow could occur are considered to be cross-connections.