Many moving parts make up an effective cross-connection control program beyond the backflow test records. Of all the program activities your public water system engages in, communicating with your water customers stands front and center. Business owners, facility managers, and residents—especially if your program is relatively new—probably don’t know much (if anything) about cross-connection control, backflow prevention, or why any of it matters. That’s where effective, consistent, and targeted communication comes into play.
In a recent HydroCorp webinar, “Communication, Compliance, and Consistency: Successfully Enforcing Your Cross-Connection Control Program,” Gary McLaren and Cooper Nicholas discuss how public water systems can effectively educate their water customers and promote compliance ahead of potential enforcement.
“A cross-connection control program is 80% communication,” says Gary McLaren. The heavy lifting of a program goes beyond on-site activities into things like education and awareness, notifications, data management, and enforcement. Communication plays a role in every single piece.
Education
“Teach before you reach.” The first communication component of a successful program is education—you need your water customers to know what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and what their role is in protecting the community’s drinking water. Recognize that your outreach is potentially the first time your customers have heard of “backflow prevention” and “cross-connection control.” If they first hear about the program in a postal notification tasking them to find a backflow tester or schedule a survey, they’re bound to have some questions.
Invest in community understanding and tailor education materials to your different water customers: at a high level, residential and non-residential (but feel free to get more precise). Leverage existing materials and resources to develop your public awareness content; there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. A plethora of materials exist in many formats—you can adopt and adapt this content to fit your community’s needs and spread the word everywhere from your utility’s website to the tried-and-true brochure at the front desk of your utility’s office.
Empathy
Remember that your water customers likely don’t know anything about the risks or what your cross-connection control program entails. In your educational materials and ongoing communication regarding the program, address customer fears, respond to confusion, and explain any costs.
Customer communication should focus primarily on the purpose of the program: keeping drinking water and water customers safe. Reiterate in each communication that the entire water system is connected, and each water customer has a responsibility to protect their own water and the water throughout their community.
Enforcement
Finally, good communication about your program should include clear information about enforcement methods, timelines, and purposes—early and often. Enforcement will only be effective after educational efforts have occurred. For enforcement to be effective, customers must understand why cross-connection control matters and what their actions toward compliance mean for their drinking water and community.
A typical enforcement communication process can look like:
- A premise is found out of compliance (for failure to submit a test record, for unprotected cross-connections, etc.).
- Two non-compliance notices are sent over the course of 30-45 days, outlining the timeline for compliance and the penalty for continued non-compliance.
- After 45 days, a final notice is sent, highlighting the enforcement measure (typically, interruption of service).
- The building owner responds and takes the required actions for compliance.
Communication Best Practices
With the three Es driving your communication strategy, you can improve your relationship with your water customers, and, as a result, improve compliance rates. But you still need to answer the questions what, when, and how?
Language
Use simple, clear language to explain your program. Define your terms, starting with things like “backflow prevention” and “cross-connections.” As much as possible, use templated language to minimize staff efforts and ensure consistency across your messaging. Create templates for each stage of communication, from initial notices to non-compliance, and for different types of water customers. Avoid specifying things like backflow preventer size or brand, and stay away from contractor recommendations. Keep your messaging, especially when it comes to enforcement and non-compliance, straightforward and clear.
Timing
When you message to your water customers matters. When are you updating your website? Sharing on social media? Sending postal notifications? Since your cross-connection control program is ongoing, your communication should be, too. As you notify water customers in different parts of your community, consider how to present a unified and cohesive message. Regularly share and update online information to reflect the most current program activities.
Send postal notifications when it makes the most sense to do so—and early enough to give water customers plenty of time to respond. Consider messaging around:
- Inspections windows
- Annual testing season
- New customers or service connections
- Hydrant flushing
- Water meter replacements
Channels
The more channels you communicate through, the better: online channels like your website, social platforms, email, and video to postal notifications to public meetings. Take every opportunity to get in front of your water customers and present them with your consistent message about cross-connection control and backflow prevention. Start with just a few channels and expand as you go; don’t be afraid to test what channels work the best and adapt as needed.
Ultimately, communication acts as the backbone for any successful cross-connection control program. Take the time to develop a communication strategy beyond the basics, bolstering both your compliance rates and your reputation with your customers.
Ready to learn more about how HydroCorp can support your public water system’s cross-connection control efforts?
