Colfax approves cross connection contract for $9,000

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX —  The Colfax Village Board has approved a one-year contract for a little over $9,000 with Hydro-Designs for cross connection surveys of residential and commercial water systems.

The Colfax Village Board approved the contract for $226 per month for the residential program and $539 per month for the commercial program at the October 22 meeting.

The state Department of Natural Resources requires all municipalities to inspect all residential and commercial water systems to make sure there is no cross connection contamination of the municipal water supply.

An example of cross connection contamination would be a water hose resting in a laundry tub that could draw contaminated water back into the municipal water system.

At the October 8 meeting, board members expressed concern about optional follow-up costs of $65 per inspection included in the Hydro-Designs contract.

Jackie Ponto, administrator clerk-treasurer, said she had contacted Hydro-Designs and that the additional cost would be incurred only if Hydro-Designs needed to return for some reason.

Rand Bates, director of public works, said he had contacted the Wisconsin Rural Water Association about cross connection training and found out that the best option for training was through Hydro-Designs.

Village employees would need a year with Hydro-Designs for inspection training and for learning the computer program needed for record keeping, Bates said.

Hydro-Designs does not offer training for the commercial inspections but could start the inspections with either residential or commercial, he said.

Gary Stene, village president, suggested that the inspections start with commercial properties in the village.

Water meters will be replaced at the same time the cross connection inspections are conducted, Bates said.

Hydro-Designs is a Michigan corporation with a branch office in New Berlin.

Cross connection inspections will include industrial, public authority, commercial and residential water systems.