Village staff pitches HydroCorp contract to boost backflow‑prevention compliance and recover testing costs

Allison Felsburg, the village’s utilities director, told the Village of Tequesta council at its Feb. 2 workshop that the utilities department will return in March with a contract proposal to boost compliance with required backflow testing.

Felsburg said the phased program would begin by bringing commercial accounts into compliance, then monitor and address residential noncompliance. She said the village currently tracks device tests through a private vendor, Aqua Backflow, which sends mailed notices 60 days before a test is due and a second notice 14 days later. "It's really protecting the health for everybody for their water systems," Felsburg said, describing the public‑health rationale for testing devices tied to pools, irrigation systems or reclaimed water.

Why it matters: Backflow devices stop potentially contaminated water from flowing backward into the potable system when pressure drops. State rules and village code require testing; staff said commercial devices are tested annually while residential devices are tested every two years. Staff estimated a typical residential test costs about $120 and said the village currently receives $5 per test from the tracking vendor for administrative handling.

How the program would work: Under the proposal staff described, HydroCorp would be contracted to take the lead on identifying overdue devices and arrange direct testing for nonresponsive account holders. The village would initially pay for testing performed under the contractor and then place the testing charge, plus a 10% administrative fee, on the customer’s water bill for cost recovery. Felsburg said staff hopes this approach will allow the village to recover testing costs from commercial properties and reallocate funds to support residential outreach and testing over time.

Enforcement and consumer impact: Council members asked whether failed tests or necessary repairs would trigger liens or shutoffs. Felsburg said failed tests that require repairs would be handled similarly to other past‑due utility charges — staff would pursue billing and, as a last resort, may shut off service or place a lien, though shutting off service to facilities served by fire lines presents safety challenges. She said staff will explore payment plans and other options for residents who face high replacement or installation costs.

Costs and schedule: Felsburg gave a preliminary estimate that HydroCorp’s first‑year contract could be in the $50,000–$60,000 range; she cautioned that final figures will be included in the March contract proposal. She said the first phase (0–3 months) would finalize the contract, set up internal coordination, and begin customer education; commercial compliance work would follow in months 3–12, with residential monitoring to continue thereafter.

Public comment and operational notes: A member of the public, Kimberly Windish, told council that notices at a commercial plaza were being mailed to previous owners and urged staff to check ownership records for that property; staff said they would investigate on a case‑by‑case basis. Felsburg also said staff submits backflow compliance data to the state annually and that the village’s meters provide an additional, though untestable, layer of protection.

Next steps: Staff plans to bring the HydroCorp contract and a fee resolution to the March council meeting for approval. The council did not vote on the contract at the workshop.