If your utility is new to managing a cross-connection control program, you need to get your ducks in a row—or, rather, your plan written, your enforcement mechanisms determined, and your processes outlined. What does year one look like, and how can up-front effort set your utility on the path to long-term success?
365 Days of Cross-Connection Control: Identifying Risks, Promoting Safety, & Achieving Compliance
The First 3 Months: Getting Off the Ground
As you launch your program, you need to draft a plan, determine what data you have and what you need, and start educating the public. While regulations for cross-connection control vary from state to state, best practices supported by the AWWA M14 Manual apply across the board.
Month 1
Start at the beginning. A successful cross-connection control program rests on a foundation of authority and communication. A municipal ordinance establishes authority for the program, while an immediate public awareness push should kickstart your utility’s communications.
Your first step is to develop a written cross-connection control plan, which should include approval and adoption of an ordinance or policy that provides for specific enforcement mechanisms. Ultimately, your public water system must be able to point to your source of authority if and when the time comes. The most common enforcement mechanism? Shutting off a customer’s water service until the violation is resolved.
Next comes the program announcement. The public is required to participate in the program—whether that’s being on-site during a survey, getting backflow preventers tested, or correcting deficiencies. Notify your water customers as early as possible with a mailer or bill insert, through your website, or via email to set expectations and start getting buy-in.
Finally, gather and organize all existing data regarding service connections and facility priority levels, as well as existing inventory, survey, and test data to establish a baseline for your program. Determine what information you have, where gaps exist, and how your program will address those gaps.
Month 2
Now that you’ve adopted the program plan and began initial communications, it’s time to make sure your staff are properly trained and prepared. Make sure staff and municipal leaders are aligned on:
- Data management practices, including the use of any software
- The on-site survey process
- Backflow preventer identification
- Non-compliance protocols
- Your public awareness narrative
All team members involved, from field to office staff, should have at least a foundational knowledge of your cross-connection control program. Utility staff must be prepared to answer questions from water customers and explain the purpose, legal authority, and processes.
This is also a good time to expand your public education materials. Consider putting together or gathering information you can distribute like FAQs and examples of high-hazard connections. Begin targeted, curated outreach to high-hazard and high-priority properties.
Month 3
Now that you’ve reviewed your existing data and processes, it’s time to map the risks within your system. The “backflow gap”—the difference between known and unknown backflow prevention—is probably higher than you think. Typically, we find that there are two to three times more backflow prevention assemblies in a water distribution system than there are test records.
Determine risk levels and create a calendar based on that risk, considering things like:
- Immediate hazards, such as facilities where contamination has occurred or problems have been previously identified
- The presence of irrigation systems, including on residential properties
- Whether service connections are contained with approved backflow assemblies
- Where fire suppression system connections exist
The Middle Months: Ramping Up
At this point, you’re off to the races! With the planning and prep work done, it’s time to start executing on-site and information-gathering activities.
Months 4 to 6
In the second quarter of your cross-connection control program, your team begins conducting on-site surveys for those high-hazard or high-risk service connections you identified in Q1. This is a time to optimize your processes for the best outcome: for notifying, scheduling, surveying, documenting, enforcement, and more.
When you go into the field, you can expect some level of resistance from customers. As you make your way throughout your community, spread the word about the importance of the cross-connection control program. Make sure your field staff are prepared to advise and educate property owners while on-site, from explaining the purpose of the program to providing information on non-compliance. Where needed, be willing to adjust the survey process to address critical community concerns.
About halfway through the first year of your program, consider holding a public meeting to reiterate the point of the program, address non-compliance, showcase progress and corrected hazards, and strengthen community support. You’ve made it this far, show it off and get buy-in from your community!
Months 7 to 9
As you continue conducting surveys and gathering data, you can start to prove your progress and impact. Review top hazards, send corrective action notices, and continue educating the public with additional outreach.
Q3 of your program is also when you start conducting revisits—re-surveying properties that were non-compliant and need to prove they’ve taken proper corrective actions. Again, start with high-hazard and high-risk locations like healthcare facilities, schools, food prep and hospitality buildings, and large industrial facilities. At this point, you also need to make sure facility managers are aware of inspection frequencies in the coming years.
At Year End: Going Strong
As you come to the end of the year, it’s time to evaluate your program, the data you’ve collected, and the hazards you’ve eliminated. With the information you compile, you can establish a data-backed compliance narrative that keeps you square with state regulations and communicates dedication and excellence to your community.
If your state requires an annual cross-connection control report, this is the time to gather the information you need and start formatting it accordingly. Use your year of progress, data, and corrected violations to establish a program summary for your next sanitary survey.
Cross-connection control isn’t one and done. The first year establishes processes and gives you an idea of the time, money, and resource requirements for an effective, compliant program. As each year wraps up, take time to draft the program activity schedule for the upcoming year, continue to elevate public awareness, and align your long-term budget for cross-connection control.
End the year strong—and proud of what your utility has accomplished in protecting public drinking water. Look ahead to the years to come with an eye toward planning and continuous improvement.
Ready to learn more about how HydroCorp can support your utility’s cross-connection control efforts and remove the burden from your staff?
