This presentation will shed light on the proactive strategies employed by the Louisville Water Company in cultivating critical customers to effectively manage contamination risks and ensure the best standards of water quality within the distribution system. Recognizing the indispensable role of key stakeholders such as customers, the plumbing community, certified backflow testers, and regulatory bodies, this case study outlines a comprehensive approach to building robust relationships that transcend conventional water management practices. Louisville Water has been a leader in industry optimization from source water through the meter. Exploring downstream of Company infrastructure and into customers’ facility piping is an emerging concern to managing distribution water quality. Consistent with the Partnership for Safe Water, Louisville Water established a Cross-Connection Program to identify, track, and mitigate the risks posed by premise plumbing. This presentation will look at how facility data is collected and used to drive Company decisions pertaining to critical customers. A closer look will be given to how these relationships are developed, and how this program strategy has been beneficial to Louisville Water, our customers, contractors, and the public health of the community. This presentation aims to inspire water utilities to adopt similar proactive strategies, fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and excellence in safeguarding the precious resource of clean and safe drinking water.