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Macomb Township approves $1.5 million HydroCorp contract for state-mandated residential cross-connection inspections
Summary
The Macomb Township Board authorized a five-year agreement with HydroCorp, not to exceed $1,500,000, to run a residential cross-connection inspection program required by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE); the measure passed unanimously after questions about costs, enforcement and resident outreach.
The Macomb Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously March 25 to award a five-year contract to HydroCorp to administer a residential cross-connection control program required by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).
The contract, described by Public Works staff as not to exceed $1,500,000, covers exterior inspections of all residential properties on a 10-year cycle, mailing and processing internal surveys, and maintaining records in HydroCorp's HydroSoft software. Public Works said the contract includes initial external inspections, reinspections for roughly 15% of homes, up to 2,237 internal-survey follow-ups and provision of vacuum breakers for external hose bibs at no cost to qualifying residents.
Township officials said the program implements state requirements intended to protect the public water system from contamination that can occur when household plumbing allows backflow during pressure drops. Public Works Director Kevin explained that external inspections will be done by contractor field staff, that internal device testing is the responsibility of homeowners and that testing frequency depends on each home's assessed hazard level under EGLE guidance.
Board members asked whether the township would be locked into costs if the state later eased enforcement. Kevin and HydroCorp representatives said the township is committed to the external inspection portion for five years but payments for internal-inspection responses scale with participation: 'If 2% of residents respond, the township pays for 2% of internal inspections,' HydroCorp said. Paul Patterson of HydroCorp said the company has worked in other municipalities for several years and has not seen litigation arising from the residential inspections, adding the firm uses a 'public-education-first' approach.
Trustees also questioned staffing and back-office demands; HydroCorp said fieldwork will approximate three-quarter-time inspectors for the township and a dedicated administrative representative plus call-center support to handle resident inquiries. Township staff said they would retain oversight and handle escalation, including follow-up notices and, as a last resort, enforcement actions tied to township ordinance compliance.
The motion to approve the agreement was made, seconded and adopted unanimously. The board recorded the contract as required by purchasing policy and said it will re-evaluate performance at the end of the five-year term.
Next steps: the contract is executed and the township will begin resident outreach via water-bill mailings and the contractor's web portal to notify homeowners of inspection timing and the responsibilities for device testing.
