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Wayne Council approves HydroCorp contract to start residential backflow prevention program
Summary
The Wayne City Council approved a $76,703.44 professional services agreement with HydroCorp to begin residential cross‑connection (backflow) inspections, supplying free vacuum breakers to residents and bringing the city into compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
The Wayne City Council on March 3 approved a professional services agreement with HydroCorp of Troy to add residential cross‑connection (backflow) inspections to the city’s existing commercial program, officials said.
City staff said the first year of the contract will cost $76,703.44, with a 3.9% annual increase thereafter, and the work will be paid from the city’s water fund. City staff described the program as a step to meet requirements under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and to comply with guidance from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).
“HydroCorp currently does the commercial cross connection control prevention program for us,” a city staff member, Dave, told the council, explaining the new residential component. He said the program will focus on common residential risks such as irrigation systems and boiler systems and will supply vacuum breakers to residents if inspectors find devices missing or removed.
A council member asked whether residents would bear any cost. Dave said, “There’s no cost to the resident at this time. This is something that the water fund will do for water safety.” He also explained the public‑safety rationale: improperly protected hose bibs or boiler connections can, in a pressure loss, allow back‑siphonage that contaminates the water system and that high‑risk commercial sites already require annual backflow preventer inspections.
The council moved and approved the agreement on a voice vote. Council members who spoke during the item praised the program as a water‑quality improvement and noted it creates a residential inspection capacity the city has not previously operated.
The contract language and a fuller program description were included in the meeting packet, staff said. The council’s vote authorizes the city to execute the professional services agreement and begin implementing HydroCorp’s residential inspection and vacuum‑breaker distribution program.
Next steps include contract execution and scheduling of the initial residential outreach and inspection phases; council did not set a public timeline at the meeting.
