The Challenge
Seneca Light and Water Department handled their cross-connection control program in-house for years, trying to stay compliant with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DES). “We worked off DES standards, but we’ve always really only had one person that handled the program,” explains Chris Morgan, water and wastewater superintendent for Seneca Light and Water. That staff member is also responsible for Seneca’s hydrant permitting, water loss management, and FOG program.
“With only one person on staff, we ended up falling short as far as surveying,” Morgan says. “We were only able to do a couple surveys a year since we were so swamped.” As the community added more than 1,000 new service connections each year, cross-connection risks increased. Many older homes also lacked basic backflow protection, such as hose bibb vacuum breakers, creating additional hazards through the system.
“It’s been great to have the manpower to do the surveys and actually find, document, and fix problems.”
– Chris Morgan, Water and Wastewater Superintendent
Seneca Light and Water
The Solution
In 2024, Seneca Light and Water decided to bring HydroCorp on to help them manage their commercial and residential cross-connection control programs. HydroCorp quickly began identifying compliance gaps that had gone undiscovered for years. “The first thing I noticed when HydroCorp started surveying was the major compliance issue we had,” Morgan says. “It’s good to know that the problems are being found and fixed.”
HydroCorp supports Seneca Light and Water by managing both the administrative side of cross-connection control, including sending out notification letters for upcoming surveys and responding to customer inquiries, as well as on-site surveying, data collection, and reporting. “Being able to get lists of testable backflow preventers with serial numbers and attach meter numbers has allowed us to update our system records,” ensuring accuracy, Morgan explains.
Since partnering with HydroCorp, Seneca Light and Water has added more than 200 testable backflow preventers, bringing their customers into compliance and protecting the community’s drinking water supply.
“The first thing I noticed when HydroCorp started surveying was the major compliance issue we had.”
– Chris Morgan, Water and Wastewater Superintendent
Seneca Light and Water
The Result
As of summer 2026, HydroCorp has completed over 2,900 residential surveys and 500 commercial surveys, identifying more than 1,000 unprotected cross-connections throughout the distribution system. “HydroCorp has found quite a few hazardous cross-connections,” explains Morgan. “It’s been great to have the manpower to do the surveys and actually find, document, and fix problems.”
Plus, HydroCorp’s support has freed up staff time for other critical operations: “I’m able to do the other parts of my job, like our bulk hydrant permits we have with contractors, and track our water loss to make sure it’s at a minimum,” says Benjamin McIntyre, Seneca Light and Water’s cross-connection control supervisor. “It’s easier to know what all my contractors are doing, and to communicate with customers and give them the one-on-one attention needed to solve any issues they have.”
As Seneca Light and Water looks toward the future of their cross-connection control program, they want “to be the role model for the state in compliance,” McIntyre explains. “Not having to send out the letters or do the surveys ourselves and having surveyors hand out vacuum breakers—it all allows us to achieve that goal faster and with greater confidence.”
