When people turn on the tap, they’re not thinking about backflow devices, hazard classifications, or survey reports. They’re thinking about trust. Is this water safe for my kids? Can I drink this without worry?
How to Build Public Trust
Public water systems often frame cross-connection control as a compliance box to check. But the truth is, cross-connection control is one of the most visible ways a utility can demonstrate commitment to public health and safety. Done right, it reassures every water customer their safety is taken seriously—not just by regulators, but by the people who manage their water every day.
1. Communicate Clearly & Often
Customers rarely hear about cross-connection control until there’s a problem—a water main break, the creation of an accidental cross-connection, or one of the other many risks that can ultimately lead to contamination.
Proactive outreach changes that. Newsletters, social media posts, and community meetings can explain how backflow hazards occur, why surveys are conducted, and how your customers play a role in protecting the system. Transparency builds confidence.
2. Make On-Site Surveys Routine & Visible
When field staff are conducting on-site cross-connection surveys at homes, businesses, and industrial sites, it’s not just about documentation, it’s about visibility. People seeing utility staff or a qualified subcontractor “out in the field” reinforces the message that safety is primary and your team is actively working to protect their drinking water.
3. Connect with Everyday Examples
Technical language doesn’t resonate with most customers. But examples do. Explaining how a garden hose left in a pesticide sprayer or a fire sprinkler line without backflow protection could affect neighborhood drinking water communicates the issue in relatable terms.
4. Highlight ROI, Funding, & Infrastructure Improvements
Many utilities don’t realize how much a strong cross-connection control program can influence eligibility for grant dollars, including programs like the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. Explaining to the public that proactive cross-connection control not only protects health but also helps unlock state and federal investment for your utility and community at large builds support for your program.
5. Share Success Stories
People gain confidence when they hear how you prevent problems. Case studies detailing hazards found and corrected, contamination events avoided, or high scores achieved on sanitary surveys are powerful tools to demonstrate the impact of your program. They tell customers: We caught this before it became a problem, because protecting your water is our priority.
The Impact on People & Pipes
Cross-connection control is often seen as a regulatory burden. But, in reality, it’s one of the clearest ways to earn and maintain the public’s trust. When water systems elevate cross-connection control to a level beyond compliance—through communication, visibility, relatable education, funding, and storytelling—they transform it into a community-wide assurance: Your water is safe, because we are always watching over it.
Ready to learn more about how HydroCorp can support your utility’s cross-connection control efforts at every level?
