Council hears minor backflow ordinance edits from HydroCorp review

Riverview council members discussed minor updates to the city's cross‑connection (backflow) ordinance proposed after a HydroCorp contract review. City staff said the changes are small, intended to bring local code into alignment with current technical guidance, and would not impose new penalties or immediate extra fees.

“HydroCorp, as part of their contract, was to look at the city's ordinances as it pertains to backflow and made some very simple changes,” a city speaker told the council. Staff said they will post the revised ordinance text on the city website so residents can review the changes.

Why it matters: Cross‑connection and backflow rules protect the drinking water system by preventing downstream contaminants from reentering the public supply. Council members asked whether residents would need to be home for inspections and whether the changes would increase costs; staff said inspections would be scheduled and that, based on the review, they did not expect additional penalties or fees.

Key details discussed

City staff told members there would be no immediate operational impact for residents beyond scheduled inspections and no additional fines or fees expected as a result of the revisions. In response to a question about whether residents must be home for inspections, staff said the inspections would be scheduled in advance.

Next steps

Staff said they will post the ordinance changes on the city website and notify residents; the council did not take a formal vote at the study session. Any formal adoption or further action will follow standard ordinance‑adoption processes if council directs introduction at a future meeting.

Ending

Council members accepted the updates for study, asked staff to post the revised language online and requested notice to residents about inspection scheduling.