Backflow testing and certification in northern Utah

Anyone with a testable backflow prevention assembly on a connection to a public water system. Utah rule R309-105-12 says these assemblies shall be inspected and tested at least once a year by an individual certified for that work. The rule lets the water system do the testing, or require the customer who has the assembly to get it tested.

Many providers put it on the owner. Saratoga Springs, for example, allows no cross connection of any type without a backflow prevention device, and says it is the owner's responsibility to have the assembly tested annually.

Assemblies are common on:

• Lawn sprinkler systems fed by drinking water.
• Fire sprinkler lines.
• Commercial boilers and equipment that uses chemicals.
• Restaurants, car washes, and medical and dental offices.

If your water provider sent you a test notice, your assembly is on their list.

A backflow preventer is a valve assembly that lets water flow one way only, from the public main into your building or sprinkler system. It keeps used or treated water from flowing backward into the drinking water supply.

Backflow happens two ways. Pressure in the main can drop, as it does during a main break, and pull water backward. Or pressure on your side can rise above the main, as it can with a boiler or a pump. The Utah Division of Drinking Water says many public drinking water systems are contaminated each year by backflow through unprotected cross connections.

Inside the assembly are check valves with springs and rubber seals. They wear out, catch grit, and crack when they freeze. A failed check valve looks fine from the outside. Only a gauge test shows it.

Only a certified tester. The Utah Division of Drinking Water states that you must hold a Utah Backflow Assembly certification to test backflow assemblies in the state. The certification comes after training and an exam.

The same page notes that repairing or installing assemblies may require additional licensure from the Utah Division of Professional Licensing. Testing and repair are separate qualifications.

Ask any tester for a certification number before the test. The state publishes a list of certified testers available for hire, so you can check a tester's name before you book.

A test done by someone without the certification does not meet the yearly requirement.

The test is done at the assembly and needs no digging or draining.

1. We find the assembly and record its make, model, size, and serial number.
2. We tell you before the water goes off. Water past the assembly is off during the test.
3. We connect a differential pressure gauge to the test ports on the assembly.
4. We close the shutoff valves in order and measure whether each check valve holds. On a reduced pressure assembly we also measure when the relief valve opens.
5. We write the readings on the test report and turn the water back on.
6. If the assembly fails, we show you the readings and explain the repair.

A test usually takes less than half an hour for each assembly. Your water provider needs a copy of the report. Ask them how they want it sent.

A failed test means a check valve or relief valve did not hold the pressure it has to hold. Most failures can be repaired on site.

• Grit on the valve seat. We open the assembly and clean it.
• Worn seals or springs. We rebuild the assembly with the repair kit made for that model.
• A cracked body. We replace the assembly. Sprinkler assemblies that are not drained before winter often crack.

After a repair, the assembly is tested again. The passing report is the one that goes to your water provider.

A replacement has to be an approved assembly. Utah rule R309-105-12 requires assemblies that can be serviced and tested in line and that carry third-party approval. Until the assembly passes, that connection is not protected.

We give free estimates. A backflow test is a short job, and these are the things that change its price:

• How many assemblies you have. A home with sprinklers on drinking water usually has one. A business can have several.
• Type and size. A large assembly on a fire line or a commercial service takes longer than a small one on a sprinkler system.
• Access. An assembly in a vault, a crowded mechanical room, or high on a wall takes more time to reach.
• Repairs. Parts and labor to clean or rebuild an assembly that fails.
• A second test. A repaired assembly has to be tested again before it passes.

You get the estimate before any work starts. If a repair is needed, you approve it first.

Test once a year, and before the due date on the notice from your water provider.

For a sprinkler system, spring is the practical time. The assembly was drained for winter, the system is being turned back on, and any freeze damage shows up right away. Testing at startup means a problem gets fixed before the watering season.

Schedule a test at other times too:

• After a new assembly is installed.
• After an assembly is repaired, moved, or replaced.
• When the assembly drips or sprays, or the relief valve keeps discharging water.

Keep a copy of every test report. If your provider's records and yours disagree, the report settles it. Businesses with several assemblies often test them all on the same visit each year.