Cross-connection control program
A cross-connection control program is the rulebook a water utility uses to keep contamination out of the public system. It surveys customers for cross-connections, rates each hazard, requires the right backflow assembly, has certified testers check those assemblies (typically once a year), and keeps the records.
Updated 2026 · Researched from published standards, not professional or legal advice.
The five parts of a typical cross-connection control program (EPA manual)
| Part | What happens |
|---|---|
| Legal authority | An ordinance or rule lets the utility require protection and shut off service for non-compliance |
| Survey | Properties are inspected and each cross-connection is classified by degree of hazard |
| Required protection | The utility assigns the assembly type, usually containment at the service |
| Testing | Certified testers test testable assemblies, typically annually, and submit reports |
| Records and follow-up | The utility tracks due dates, failed tests and repairs |
A cross-connection control program is the formal framework a water purveyor or health authority uses to manage backflow risk across its service area. A typical program includes an ordinance or rule establishing authority, surveys that identify cross-connections and classify hazards, requirements for approved assemblies at designated services, a schedule for periodic testing, a roster of approved testers, and a recordkeeping system that tracks every assembly from installation through each test and repair.
Programs exist because individual devices, however good, do not protect anyone unless they are installed where needed and verified to work over time. The program is the mechanism that converts plumbing hardware into public health protection: it decides which properties need containment, follows up when tests are missed, reviews test reports for failures, and ensures failed assemblies are repaired and retested. It also provides the paper trail that demonstrates due diligence to regulators.
Testers and property owners each have a defined place in the program. Testers usually must hold a recognized certification, use calibrated equipment, and submit reports in the format and timeframe the program specifies. Owners are responsible for installing required assemblies, keeping them accessible, and having them tested, typically annual where required, set by the water authority. Understanding the local program's rules is as important to a working tester as understanding the assemblies themselves.
Common questions
Who runs a cross-connection control program?
The water purveyor (the utility), usually under state drinking water rules that implement the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Building departments enforce the plumbing code side inside buildings.
What software do cross-connection programs use?
Many utilities use dedicated backflow tracking software to log assemblies, due dates and test reports submitted online by testers. Smaller systems still use spreadsheets and paper reports.
Sources
- U.S. EPA, Cross-Connection Control Manual (EPA 816-R-03-002)
- USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research, Manual of Cross-Connection Control
- Safe Drinking Water Act and state drinking water regulations
Related terms
| Water purveyor | The utility or organization that owns, operates, and supplies a public drinking water system and is responsible for the quality of water it delivers. |
| Containment vs. isolation | Two complementary protection strategies: containment protects the public main at the service connection, while isolation protects users inside the building at each hazard. |
| Annual testing | The periodic field testing of backflow prevention assemblies, typically annual where required, set by the water authority, that verifies each assembly still works. |
| Degree of hazard | The classification of a cross-connection by the severity of harm its contaminant could cause, typically as a health hazard or a non-health hazard. |
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