Cross Connection Specialist

Salary : $73,747.68 - $89,640.96 Annually
Location : Public Works Department - 3981 South 'K' Street, Tulare, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 2026-39
Department: Public Works
Division: Water
Opening Date: 11/03/2026
Closing Date: 11/29/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Position Description
Ready to be our lead expert in water safety? Join our team as a Cross-Connection Specialist.

The City is seeking an experienced, detail-oriented water professional to lead and administer our Cross-Connection Inspection and Backflow Prevention Control Program.

In this specialized, single-position classification, you will protect public health by ensuring the safety of the City's drinking water supply. Working under the general supervision of the Water Utility Manager, you will serve as the primary technical authority responsible for surveying consumer facilities, identifying cross-connection hazards, enforcing California compliance standards, and managing the City's hydrant meter rental program.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Program Administration: Lead, implement, and administer the City's cross-connection control program in accordance with California compliance standards and local ordinances.
• Inspections & Risk Assessment: Survey, monitor, and inspect industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential facilities to identify potential cross-connections, evaluate hazards, and determine required backflow assemblies.
• Technical Maintenance: Install, test, troubleshoot, repair, calibrate, and certify backflow prevention devices and water meters to American Water Works Association (AWWA) standards.
• Hydrant Program Management: Facilitate the hydrant meter rental program for contractors and developers, track parts inventory, take monthly consumption readings for billing, and monitor city hydrants for unauthorized use.
• Enforcement & Compliance: Investigate water ordinance violations, issue warnings, and authorize the discontinuance of water service to any premise violating regulations.
• Public Relations: Respond to inquiries from contractors, architects, engineers, and the general public regarding cross-connection standards and compliance timelines.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Our ideal candidate is a self-directed technical expert who blends rigorous regulatory knowledge with excellent community relations. We are looking for someone who stands out in the following areas:

• Compliance Champion: You take pride in protecting public health, bringing a eagle-eye attention to detail when identifying cross-connection risks and enforcing California health codes.
• Technical Expert: You possess deep, hands-on mastery of hydraulics, AWWA backflow standards, and the precise calibration of testing instruments.
• Problem Solver: You work effectively under general supervision, confidently diagnosing complex systemic problems and managing program logistics like the hydrant meter rental system independently.
• Diplomatic Communicator: You can translate complex state regulations into clear, accessible guidance for developers, architects, and citizens, resolving compliance disputes with firm professionalism and outstanding customer service.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To be considered for this position qualified applicants must submit an application with detailed information in each section of the application: Education, Work History, Certificates and Licenses, and Skills.

In addition to submitting a detailed application, applicants are required to respond to the supplemental questions associated with the application. Responses to the supplemental questions will be used to evaluate applicants' qualifying knowledge, skills, and abilities. Resumes may be attached but will not be accepted in lieu of a complete, detailed application.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Under general supervision, performs a variety of work in support of the City's cross-connection inspection and backflow prevention control program; leads, implements, and administers the cross-connection control program in accordance with California compliance standards, and the City's ordinances and standards to ensure a safe drinking water supply; performs inspections and determines the need for installation of approved backflow prevention assemblies at water connections based on level of hazard present; assesses the risk of cross-connection contamination for all of the City's water services; facilitates the City's hydrant meter rental program; and performs related work as required.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED
Receives general supervision from the Water Utility Manager. May exercise technical and functional direction and training over assigned staff.
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
This is a single position class that is responsible for providing day-to-day maintenance of the City's cross-connection control program. Responsibilities include surveying, monitoring, and inspecting City, industrial, commercial, institutional, and other consumer facilities to detect violations of State Health Codes and local ordinances pertaining to back siphonage and cross-connection in the water system. This class is distinguished from the Water Utility Supervisor in that the latter is the full supervisory-level class in the series responsible for organizing, assigning, supervising, and reviewing the work of assigned staff involved in water operations. This class is further distinguished from the Water Utility Manager in that the latter has management responsibility for all water utility operations and maintenance functions and activities of the City.

Examples of Essential Functions
Management reserves the rights to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job. The duties listed below represent the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them if the work is related or a logical assignment to this class.

• Receives, investigates, reviews, trouble-shoots and responds to complaints on backflow prevention devices and other relevant issues related to the operation and maintenance of the City's water distribution system; resolves complaints in a timely and efficient manner.
• Plans, directs, trains, and participates in work assignments and inspections in support of the City's backflow prevention and cross-connection control programs.
• Surveys, monitors, and inspects City, industrial, commercial, institutional, and other consumer facilities to detect violations of State Health Codes and local ordinances pertaining to back siphonage and cross-connection in the water system.
• Conducts cross-connection assessments, surveys and inspections of water user premises to identify where cross-connections are likely to occur and determine degree of hazard; ensure conformance with federal, state, and local cross-connection regulations.
• Installs, tests, inspects, maintains, repairs, and certifies backflow prevention devices within the City's distribution system; ensures backflow devices are properly installed to protect against backflow, back-siphonage, and back pressure; ensures compliance with all regulations.
• Ensures that unprotected connections between the City's water system and sources of unsafe drinking water are not installed; evaluates cross-connection hazards and recommends corrective action, including proper backflow prevention devices to be installed.
• Locates, inspects, and tests existing backflow prevention assemblies and related water meters in the field; ensures backflow prevention assemblies go with corresponding water meters.
• Repairs and installs backflow prevention assemblies and related water meters.
• Tests new backflow assembly installations; maintains inventory of backflow prevention and cross-connection parts and fittings; assists in maintaining a parts inventory and orders parts as necessary.
• Maintains accurate service records of tests and repairs of backflow prevention assemblies and water meters and makes periodic and special reports on work performs.
• Updates cross-connections ordinance and standards as needed to ensure governmental compliance related to backflow devices.
• Tests, troubleshoots, and repairs faulty backflow assemblies to American Water Works Association (AWWA) standards.
• Communicates with customers regarding cross-connection control program and backflow assembly testing, including installation and maintenance requirements, warnings, and final notices.
• Investigates and documents water ordinance violations; authorizes discontinuance of water service to any premise violating local or state cross-connection control regulations.
• Maintains and repairs hydrant meters and City backflow assemblies; installs and relocates hydrant meters; tests backflow assemblies for hydrant meter program.
• Obtains monthly hydrant meter readings, and inputs readings into handheld device for monthly consumption billings.
• Installs and inspects hydrant meters for contractors and developers of new development projects.
• Maintain a variety of computerized records on backflow prevention device locations, testing, repairs, and installation.
• Conducts initial testing of backflow prevention devices when installed; maintains schedules for testing and/or replacement of obsolete or inefficient backflow prevention devices.
• Responds to inquiries from contractors, architects, engineers, and the general public concerning city ordinances and standards regarding the cross-connection and backflow prevention control program; provides information within the area of assignment.
• Prepares and maintains a variety of reports, correspondence, records, and files related to area of assignment; enters data into computer system.
• Calibrates equipment and instruments on a routine schedule and after repairs; makes unscheduled or emergency repairs as required.
• Operates and maintains a variety of vehicles, hand and power tools, and equipment.
• Reads and interprets maps, blueprints, sketches, and diagrams in the performance of the work.
• Monitors the City's hydrants for unauthorized use.
• Responds to operations, maintenance, and repair emergency situations as required.
• Observes safe work methods and makes appropriate use of related safety equipment as required.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications / Requirements
Knowledge of:

• Applicable Federal, State and local laws, ordinances, regulations, and guidelines relevant to recycled water and cross-connection control regulations.
• Operations, services, and activities of a cross-connection control program.
• Principles, practices, and techniques of cross-connections.
• Principles of hydraulics as it relates to water distribution, backflow prevention and cross-connection control, metering, and fire hydrant operations.
• Testing, calibration, maintenance and repair of testing equipment used in the installation, repair, and testing of backflow assemblies.
• Materials, methods, techniques, and terminology used in the implementation and enforcement of cross-connection control of potable and recycled water systems.
• Principles, procedures, methods, equipment, materials, and tools used in the electrical and mechanical repair of minor and major equipment systems, including pumps, motors, generators, and pressure regulatory devices.
• Principles, practices, and methods related to the maintenance and repair of various data acquisition and control instrumentation.
• The operation and minor maintenance of a variety of hand and power tools, vehicles, and power equipment.
• Principles of water metering; types and sizes of meters utilized in various installations.
• Basic traffic control procedures and traffic sign regulations.
• Use, testing, and operation of backflow prevention devices.
• Safety equipment and practices related to the work.
• Basic mathematical principles.
• Safe driving rules and practices.
• Basic computer software related to work.
• English usage, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service to the public and City staff, in person and over the telephone.

Ability to:

• Lead, implement, and administer a cross-connection program in accordance with the California Code of Regulations, and the City's ordinances and standards.
• Interpret, apply, and explain City ordinances and standards related to cross-connection, backflow, hydrant, commercial meters, and billing activities.
• Enforce local and state cross-connection control and recycled water regulations and rules through investigation and identification of non-compliance and seek resolutions.
• Inspect, diagnose problems, and troubleshoot a variety of water systems and wastewater pre-treatment devices.
• Conduct flow rate and pressure tests and report findings.
• Maintain accurate logs, records and basic written records of work performed.
• Troubleshoot maintenance problems and determine materials and supplies required for repair.
• Read and interpret gauges and other recording devices and interpret the information as it relates to repair and maintenance activities.
• Perform a variety of semiskilled and skilled tasks in the construction, maintenance, renovation, and repair of water distribution and treatment systems.
• Safely and effectively use and operate hand tools, mechanical equipment, power tools, and equipment required for the work.
• Read and interpr