1. CrossConnectionControl inWichita
From NothingtoSomethingSpecial!
The passage of the Federal Safe DrinkingWaterActin1974 lefta lotof waterpurveyorsscramblingand
some scratchingtheircollectiveheads.The local programbeganforWichita,KSin1976 withthe
designationof plumbinginspectorstoreview new deviceswheninstalledandahealthinspectorto
followuponexistinginstallations.The initial law made noprovisionsforcustomerswhomight
contaminate theirownsystemsand possibly the publicservice mains.Subsequent refinements placed
some of the burden onthose consumers, enhancingthe “safe watertothe last free-flowingtap”
mandate enforceability.Locally,the installationof backflow prevention valvesrequiredunderthe older
codeswentalongwithoutmuchchange until 1986 whena full-timecrossconnectionmanagerwas
selectedtooversee the program.Atthattime,notmore than about1,500 deviceswere knowntobe
installedinthe system.The local codesforcrossconnectioncontrol were encompassedinaboutseven
pagesof code language andsorelyin needof updating.The crossconnectionmanageratthe time set
aboutworkingonupdateswiththe assistance of the Cityof Wichitaleadplumbinginspectoratthe time.
At that time,manyhighhazardapplications,includingboilerfeedlines,chillers,and lawnirrigationhad
onlydouble checkvalvesforbackflow protection.Manyof these were unregistered andunknown.One
full-time personcouldnotbegintolocate themall,butinadditiontothe fledglingprogramcode
updates,those issuesweredealtwith steadily onadailybasis.
In 1990, the State of Kansas broughtitto the attentionof the local crossconnection managerthatlawn
irrigationhadbeendeterminedbythe EnvironmentalProtectionAgency tobe ahighhazard use
followingthe discoverythatundergroundpipinginirrigationsystemswere commonlycontaminated
witha brewof bacteria,fertilizer,herbicides,andpesticides.Atthe time,thousandsof lawnirrigation
systemswere protectedbybelowgrade low-hazarddoublecheckvalvesinlawnvaults.Itwas
determinedthatthe bestwayto update these connectionswastorequire phasedinreplacementof
those valvesatthe scheduled fiveyearrebuildinterval withthe dropdeaddate beingSeptember1997
for all lawnirrigationsystemstoupdate to highhazardprotectionfortheirirrigationsystems.
Neighborhoodsurveys werecompletedandmanysystemswerefoundtoutilizeatmosphericvacuum
breakersforprotection insteadof testablebackflow protection. Of those systemssurveyed,eighty-five
percentwere found bythe cross connectionmanager tobe installedillegallywithdownstreamsolenoid
(shut-off)valves.Thisisnota legal applicationforthese valvesandthe administrative problemswithso
manyillegal usesof thislegitimateprotectionled toarestriction ontheiruse in thissystemforlawn
irrigation,leavingPressure VacuumBreakers,ReducedPressure devices,andairgapsas the remaining
optionsforundergroundirrigationsystems. In1997, whenthis deadlinehadpassed,the newlyselected
cross connectionadministratorsetaboutinformingthose thathadnot yetupdatedtheirdevicesand
lettingitbe knowntocontractors that the requirementwasfirmandwouldbe enforced.Onlynowand
thendoesa neighborhoodsurveyturnupan oldburieddouble checkvalve andmost were abandoned
yearsago. Removal isstill required,evenif the systemisnot active due tothe potential forreactivation.
In 1992, the updatedcodeswere made official andhadimprovedfromsevenpagesof code to
seventeen,specifyingwhichhighhazardapplicationsinthe systemwouldrequire containment

2. protectionatthe service connection definedinthiscoldclimate region tobe the firstpointinthe
buildingexceptforfire protectionsystems,whichwouldrequireafire vaultwhere doublecheckvalves
were used.ReducedPressure Principal Assemblies were requiredtobe above grade oron the fire riser
inthe building.By thistime the numberof backflow valvesregisteredhadrisentoabout3,000 and were
climbingsteadily.Initially,mostof the notificationswere donebyindividuallocationsandno large
mailingswere institutedatthisphase.
The previous crossconnectionmanagerdeveloped afirmfoundationandanactive trainedbase of
about100 licensedtestersinthe communitywho servicedandmaintainedthe protectiondevices
installed. The crossconnectionmanagerwasaskedto serve as trainerfortestersthroughthe Plumbing
HeatingCoolingContractorsAssociation locally andthe numberof testersalsobegantoclimbsteadily.
The instructorpositionwascontinuedbythe currentprogramadministratorandstudentsfrom
throughoutthe state continue toattendforinitial certificationandseparate recertificationinthree year
intervals.
Anotheralignedareawasintroducedin1995 whenthe bulkwaterlicensingprogramwentintoeffect
and permitstickerswere issuedtoconstruction,irrigation,streetsweepersandother vehiclesthat
obtainedwaterfromfire hydrantsthroughahydrantmeterprogram and otheroutletsinthe system
includingoverheadfill devices. Thisprogramcontinuestothisdaywith over300 vehicleslicensedin
2015 to date.
In 1996, a change inprogram managementbecame necessarydue toillnessandthe positionwasvacant
for sevenmonths.Selectionof anewmanagerinAugust founda paperstorm had accumulated. Getting
control of the reports, incompletemailings,andmessagesbecamethe primaryfocus alongwith finding
a betterwayto handle the influx andalsotodetermine where tofocus programefforts,asort of triage
if you will wasinitiated.Atthistime,all reportsweremailed(asinmostsystems) and the firstorderof
businesswastoreorganize the outdateddatabase managementsystem,whichwasunsupported.This
was the beginningof the searchfora “better”mousetrapforcross connectioncontrol reporting.Email
was still fairlynew andmostlyreservedformanagement,butemailedreportswouldstill require the
time consumingtaskof manuallyenteringall of the testsreceivedfromthe over180 testerslicensedat
that time and9,500 devicestested.Email didsimplifycommunicationinternallyof course, and
externallyaftertime,butwasnot the answerto a new source of data entry.A pilotprogramto develop
a newintegratedcrossconnectionprogramwithothermanagementsystemsbecameavailable and
participationasa “beta”testerledto a more comprehensivemanagementsystemwiththe promiseof
future innovation.Thatinnovationcame inthe formof an internetbasedreportsubmissionprogram.
Extensive worktodevelopaninterface withthe managementprogramandbillingprogramunveiledthe
firstknownproduction internetbackflowreportingsysteminApril 2003, coincidentallyatthe beginning
of the irrigationseason. Anarduous initial testforsuchan ambitiouschange. The buy-infortesting
professionals came inaccessto due datesanddevice informationfortheircustomers.No longerwould
theyhave to waste a tripto see whatparts were neededortocall the administratortofindoutwhat
service wasneededfortheir new customersorevenexistingcustomers.Theycouldloginandlook at
the information forthemselves andprintcustomizedtestforms forfieldreporting.

3. Initially,trainingcourseswereheldtotrain operators inthe use of the system.Eventually,popuphelps
were addedtothe programand the binaryselectioninterface issosimple thatvirtuallynoone requires
traininganylonger.OurthirteenthanniversaryjustpassedinApril forthe internetsubmissionprogram
and thoughthere have beennumerousupdatesandminorchanges,itworksmuchas it didwhenrolled
out.Presently,over27,478 devicesare monitoredbythe crossconnectioncontrol program withthree
full time staff thatsupportover420 testersinthe field.
Today,we have just recentlyupdatedourcodes againandnow have roughly 38 pagesof supporting
code language to comprehensivelycoverprotectionneedsinthe communitywhichincludesthree
complete cities,several borderingneighborhoods inothercity watersystems,andunincorporatedareas
inthe county, alongwithbulkwaterconnectionstomostneighboringcommunitiesandrural water
connectionsinthe county. Roughly14,000 enforcementnoticesare mailedoutannuallyinsupportof
cross connectionrequirementsforbackflow maintenance andtesterregistrations. Growthhasslowed
somewhatinthe lastfewyears,butthe waterutility’scrossconnection programispoisedtohandle the
nexteconomicupturn.