The Challenge
The city of Mt. Pleasant managed their cross-connection control program in-house for years. “Three full-time team members are all I have for a city of 26,000 people,” says Chad Sapp, Water Distribution Supervisor for Mt. Pleasant. One team member was dedicated to cross-connection control. That was a significant portion of the utility’s resources—from labor hours to budget—for just one aspect of operations.
“It was pretty inefficient and a big drain on man-power,” Sapp explains. “As the number of inspections went up over time, we didn’t have the resources or people to keep up with all the inspections.” With a growing population, the city needed a different solution, one that would provide compliance with state regulations, protection from contamination, and transparency with their water customers.
“Having HydroCorp has freed us up to do a lot of things that were neglected in the past because of man-power. We’ve gotten more of that type of recordable work done this year than we have maybe ever.”
– Chad Sapp, Water Distribution Supervisor, City of Mt. Pleasant
The Solution
In 2015, the city sought a partner to reduce the burden on internal staff and build greater efficiency into their commercial cross-connection control program. “HydroCorp took the reins and ran with it,” Sapp says. “There wasn’t much that we had to do.” HydroCorp’s certified team helped ensure the city met state regulations and was prepared for sanitary surveys.
After starting with their commercial program, the city expanded their partnership with HydroCorp to execute a city-wide water meter replacement project, updating meters and improving billing accuracy for water customers. The project distributes meter replacements over five years, with approximately 900 meters to be replaced each year.
While completing meter installations, the HydroCorp team also conducts interior cross-connection control surveys at residential properties, tackling two critical tasks in a single visit. “It just made sense that HydroCorp does our meter rotates while they’re already there doing cross-connection inspections,” Sapp explains.
“As the number of inspections went up over time, we didn’t have the resources or people to keep up with all the inspections.”
– Chad Sapp, Water Distribution Supervisor, City of Mt. Pleasant
The Result
Working with HydroCorp allows the small team at the utility to focus on their core responsibilities: “We can spend more time focusing on the things we really should be focusing on—maintenance and integrity of our system, our valves, our hydrants,” says Sapp.
Especially after taking both residential interior cross-connection control and meter replacement off internal staff in the last year, the utility can continue providing excellent service to their customers with greater focus and clearer prioritization. “Having HydroCorp has freed us up to do a lot of things that were neglected in the past because of man-power. We’ve gotten more of that type of recordable work done this year than we have maybe ever.”
In 2025, HydroCorp conducted more than 450 commercial surveys for the city, which now boasts an 88% commercial compliance rate. And, in the first year of the water meter replacement project, HydroCorp replaced 907 meters with minimal issues. “HydroCorp just takes care of it all for us,” says Sapp.
As the city continues its partnership with HydroCorp, the team is confident in maintaining regulatory compliance, improving customer satisfaction, and proactively protecting public health. Sapp foresees “a continued positive impact on the community moving forward.”
