Regulations get the conversation around cross-connection control started, but turning plan into action is where the real work begins. When on-site work, administration, public education, reporting, and other program elements enter the mix, they can muddy the waters if you don’t have the right resources and expertise internally.
How do you know if managing your utility’s cross-connection control program in-house is the best solution for your community? When you consider cost, time, resources, and capabilities, the answer might not be as clear as you initially thought.
Building an Effective Cross-Connection Control Plan:
A Checklist for Success
The Costs of In-House Cross-Connection Control
When utilities need to implement or expand their cross-connection control program to enhance safety and comply with regulatory requirements, they often miss the costs that make the program such a big undertaking. Uncertainty around essential costs and resources mean budgets become inaccurate, stakeholders grow frustrated, and your community’s drinking water (and compliance status) is jeopardized.
Staffing Costs
Labor, in typical fashion, is the biggest cost your utility faces in operating a cross-connection control program. When considering staff needs in relation to cross-connection control, ask questions like:
- How many full- and part-time employees do we need to cover our program—both in the field and the office?
- What percentage of those employees’ time will be dedicated to cross-connection control?
- What is the estimated cost of salary and benefits for employees focused on cross-connection control?
Resources + Hidden Costs
Cross-connection control doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Your utility—and your staff—need resources to effectively protect your water system from contamination. Consider the costs of things like:
- Training and certifications: Do you need certified technicians to complete field surveys? How many annual credit hours do they need to maintain that certification? What about administrative staff? Even if they don’t need to be certified, they will need at least some training to prepare them to answer questions and manage backend operations.
- Software tools: What digital platforms do you use to input, manage, and report on data? What’s being used in the field and in the office, and is it the same platform? How does the software you use for cross-connection control integrate with other platforms you use in utility operations?
- Backflow Preventers: Your utility may decide to provide hose bibb vacuum breakers to residential property owners to help them come into compliance without a follow-up inspection that requires further staff time.
- Print Materials: What materials do you need for postal notifications, door hangers, and non-compliance notices? What are the printing and mailing costs?
- Fleet Management: Vehicle maintenance can fly under the radar, but you need to consider the cost of vehicles as staff travel throughout your community to conduct initial surveys and follow-ups.
The Cost Impact on a Mid-Sized Utility
To run a cross-connection control program in-house, a mid-sized public water system with 10,000 service connections would likely need to hire two to three full-time inspectors to cover annual surveys of non-residential properties and residential surveys conducted on a five-year schedule. While state regulations differ—meaning the number of surveys year-to-year can look different across utilities—the basic principle remains the same. Plus, with large facilities like hospitals, energy plants, or manufacturers that can take a full day (or more) to survey, on-site capacity remains a major cost driver.
Add in the cost of at least one administrative staff member to cover things like postal notifications, data entry and management, and customer support, and you’re looking at full-time salary and benefits for three to four employees. That can add up to $300,000+ dollars each year.
On top of all that, you can’t discount the opportunity cost of time and dollars spent on cross-connection control that keeps your utility from regular maintenance, system updates, and process improvements that allow you to provide excellent service to your customers.
The Outsourcing Option
Money isn’t the only factor (though it is a big one) in deciding whether to run your cross-connection control program in-house or with third-party support.
Staffing limitations come from more than budget restraints. Many industries, including water management, are facing a skilled labor shortage. All too often, utilities struggle to find the labor they need to successfully manage a cross-connection control program. As regulations evolve, you need deep expertise, strong relationships, and consistency to ensure safety and compliance.
Outsourcing also allows budget predictability that sometimes comes into question with shifting team members and responsibilities. When you partner with a third party, you get the chance to determine costs with certainty, upfront and for an extended period (often at least five years to cover initial surveys across your entire system). When you know what costs are coming, you can plan with confidence.
Finally, outsourcing allows many utilities to operate with confidence, knowing they are protected from regulatory and reputational risk. The defensible documentation created when working with the right partner helps you avoid stressful compliance failures that often result in costly corrections and last-minute council approvals. Not to mention, helping you protect your drinking water and customer relationships from harmful contamination.
With limited resources, staffing shortages, and competing priorities, the best answer could be to build a strong partnership with a trusted vendor.
Ready to learn more about how HydroCorp can support your utility’s cross-connection control efforts?
