The Challenge
In 2008, Northville Township didn’t have a cross-connection control program. Their small team, serving a rural but growing community, didn’t have the time, staff, or expertise to develop a program from scratch, complete the on-site work required, keep up with non-compliance, and submit the annual report to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
“It really came down to the state of Michigan. They made changes to the Clean Drinking Water Act and put out a cross-connection control manual in 2008,” explains Melissa Raikes, Public Works Associate for Northville Township. “We looked at the requirements and manual, and realized we didn’t have the knowledge, resources, or staffing to run the program in-house.”
“Even now, we would need at least six or seven people to run the residential program in-house.“
– Melissa Raikes, Public Works Associate, Northville Township
The Solution
Rather than hiring and training multiple employees to launch a commercial program, in 2008, Northville Township contracted with HydroCorp. And in 2021, when the state began enforcing requirements for residential cross-connection control, they expanded their partnership. “At that point, it was a no brainer,” Raikes says.
With many homes more than 30 years old and residents completely unfamiliar with cross-connection control and state requirements, public education presented a significant hurdle for Northville Township. “We’re still heavy in education: why this is important, why we need to do this, how this impacts not only you, but also your neighbor,” Raikes explains.
That’s been a key way HydroCorp has helped. “The commitment on every single level, from the residential inspector, who spends a lot of time educating residents, to the dedicated phone line where people call and always get a response. They’re talking to a real person.” HydroCorp’s support spans each aspect of the program to ensure safety and compliance across the community.
“The commitment to the community is shown on multiple levels of HydroCorp’s organization. Not only are they a contractor, but they’re part of our team.“
– Melissa Raikes, Public Works Associate, Northville Township
The Result
In less than four years since launching their residential program, Northville Township has completed 70% of their initial residential inspections. Their compliance rate has increased by 16% each year, reflecting public education and compliance efforts, and now sits at over 80%. All without having to dedicate more staff to the program: “Even now, we would need at least six or seven people to run the residential program in-house,” Raikes explains. “With HydroCorp, we have not had to increase administrative staff at all to manage the program.”
Since 2021, Northville Township has corrected 574 unprotected cross-connections. That means safer water across the community. “Having that one component we don’t have to worry about, that peace of mind, is just huge,” Raikes says. “We wear multiple hats and we’re constantly responding to issues. It frees us up in our day-to-day operations, having somebody else run with this program.”
Northville Township found a true partner in HydroCorp. “The commitment to the community is shown on multiple levels of HydroCorp’s organization,” Raikes says. “Not only are they a contractor, but they’re part of our team. We have shared goals: HydroCorp’s goal is my goal for my community.”
