A cross connection is a connection between a potable drinking water supply and a possible source of contamination or pollution.
Safe Drinking Water Act
Under the provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1971, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established national standards for safe drinking water. Each state is required to enforce the various regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act and how it relates to its state laws. To meet these new provisions, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on January 1, 1996, enacted a new state law which requires the public water suppliers to implement and enforce the Cross Connection Control Program requirements located in title 30 Texas Administrative code (TAC) Chapter 290 of the Rules and Regulations for Public Water Suppliers.
Cross Connection Control & Prevention Ordinance
In 1999 the City of Garland adopted a new Cross Connection Control and Prevention Ordinance. The Utility conducts periodic water use system inspections as required by this ordinance. These surveys assist in determining if any connections or uses of the potable water supply are inadvertently creating a health hazard to the public.