Across the United States, public water systems are preparing for—or already experiencing—a generational workforce shift. As experienced operators, inspectors, and program coordinators retire, newer staff step into roles shaped by increasing regulatory scrutiny.
Unlike many utility functions, cross-connection control is not just technical. It relies heavily on judgment, interpretation, and institutional knowledge built over time. When that knowledge is not intentionally documented and transferred, programs begin to lose consistency, defensibility, and resilience, putting communities and their drinking water at risk.
10 Gaps in Cross-Connection Control Programs & How to Fill Them
Cross-Connection Control Is Learned Over Time
Most cross-connection-control professionals would agree that knowing the rules is only the starting point. Effective programs depend on experience:
- Interpreting real-world hazards
- Applying ordinances consistently
- Understanding and applying codes and requirements outside of water distribution (i.e. plumbing code, fire code)
- Navigating enforcement with customers and elected officials
- Preparing for audits and sanitary surveys
- Coordinating across operations, water quality, and administration
These skills are rarely captured fully in manuals. They are learned through mentorship, shadowing, and repetition that can’t be achieved when your experienced vets are off the job.
The Risk of Single-Person Programs
In many utilities, cross-connection control knowledge is concentrated in a single individual, often a long-tenured employee who knows how things work in the real world. Often, they have built strong relationships with regulatory officials, property owners, and municipal leaders to maintain an effective program.
While invaluable, this isolated expertise creates risk. When that person retires or leaves, utilities may lose:
- Historical context for hazard decisions
- Consistency in enforcement
- Confidence during sanitary surveys
- Credibility with regulators
Succession planning is not about replacing people. It is about ensuring the program continues to function when they retire or move on.
Certification Alone Is Not Enough
Certification programs and continuing education are essential, but they rarely prepare staff to actively manage cross-connection control as a full program.
What’s often missing:
- Training in program administration and documentation
- Exposure to enforcement scenarios
- Understanding of legal authority and due process
- Familiarity with audit expectations
Without this context, staff may be technically qualified but unprepared to lead a compliant, defensible program.
How Mentorship Bridges the Gap
Mentorship plays a critical role in cross-connection control because so much of the work exists behind the scenes and in gray areas that require on-the-spot judgment calls:
- How to get buy-in from municipal and inter-agency leaders
- When to escalate enforcement
- How to maintain consistency without rigidity
- How to explain risk to non-technical stakeholders
Learned skills require practice. Mentorship helps newer staff obtain these soft skills, practice and receive feedback, and build confidence while preserving institutional standards during periods of transition.
Succession Planning Is a Risk-Management Strategy
A resilient cross-connection control program should not depend on one person’s memory, experience, relationships, or judgment. Instead, it should rely on:
- Documented decision frameworks
- Cross-training and shared ownership
- Clear roles and escalation paths
- Systems that preserve institutional knowledge
In this sense, succession planning is much more than an HR exercise. It is a compliance and risk-management strategy. As utilities face tighter budgets, workforce turnover, and rising expectations, now is the time to ask:
- Where does our cross-connection control knowledge live?
- Who could step into the role tomorrow?
- Would our program hold up under audit without key individuals?
The strongest cross-connection control programs are built not on individual expertise alone, but on training, mentorship, and continuity by design.
Ready to learn more about how HydroCorp can support your public water system’s cross-connection control efforts?
