Virginia Law

A. The owner and operator shall maintain and operate a rainwater harvesting system in accordance with the approved operation and maintenance manual.

B. The manual shall be easily understandable to the owner and operator and include, at minimum, the following items:

1. Basic identifying information for the rainwater harvesting system, including the location and intended end use;

2. Basic information regarding the rainwater harvesting system design, including treatment unit capacity, a list of components in the system, a schematic of the system, sampling locations, and contact information for replacement parts for each unit;

3. A list of control functions and how to use them;

4. Operation, maintenance, sampling, inspection, and reporting schedules for the rainwater harvesting system;

5. The design limits of the rainwater harvesting system design and how to operate the system within those design limits;

6. Technical information, including:

a. Catchment area dimensions;

b. Roofing materials and sealants;

c. Vertical conveyance materials;

d. Water storage unit information including volume, size dimensions, whether the unit is covered or uncovered, whether the unit is above or below ground, construction materials, and location;

e. Prefiltration information, including type of prefiltration used, quantity, filtration particle size, and location;

f. Pump system information including the brand, make, model, capacity and heads, and horsepower;

g. Disinfection system information, including the brand, make, model, parts numbers, date of manufacture, and date of installation for each component;

h. Additional manufacturer's instructions, such as schematics and diagrams provided with components of the rainwater harvesting system; and

i. Water quality verification procedures, frequency, parameters, sampling locations, records policies and procedures, and a sample written operational record entry form;

7. Inspection and maintenance procedures, to include (i) the procedures for inspecting and cleaning water storage tanks and piping and (ii) periodic cross-connection inspection; and

8. Other information deemed necessary or appropriate by the designer.

C. The operation and maintenance manual for a Tier 4 rainwater harvesting system shall also contain the following:

1. A list of water quality monitoring requirements, including sample locations, tests to be performed, testing methods, and the applicable water quality standard;

2. Provisions for the determination of temporary or emergency alternate water supply, the conditions under which an alternate water supply is required, the procedures for ensuring continuity of water supply, when bottled water should be used, and the conditions that require boil water practices for cooking and drinking;

3. Criteria for ensuring the continuity of water supply, to include (i) a low capacity alarm for water storage; (ii) bypass protocol, including backflow and cross-connection prevention; and (iii) applicable reporting criteria;

4. Provisions for documenting the easement and land records requirements of this chapter; and

5. Identification of what incidents qualify as a reportable incident and the appropriate response, including:

a. An alarm event lasting more than 24 hours;

b. An alarm event that reoccurs following corrective action;

c. Failure to achieve one or more performance requirements;

d. Failure to achieve one or more quality standards;

e. Replacement of a major component of the system, including electric and electronic components; and

f. Actual or suspected contamination.

D. If the operation and maintenance manual includes requirements for operation, maintenance, sampling, or inspection schedules that exceed the minimum requirements of this chapter, the designer shall determine the additional requirements based on the proposed end use of the harvested rainwater, design flow and unit treatment processes of the rainwater harvesting system, and other factors.

E. The operation and maintenance manual shall include regional, local, and site-specific water concerns.