Contact

Backflow Authority serves as a national reference provider network for the backflow prevention service sector, connecting service seekers with licensed testers, certified installers, and qualified inspection professionals across the United States. This page describes how to reach the provider network's administrative office, what information to include in a message, and which categories of inquiry fall within the scope of this resource. Provider submissions, data corrections, and regulatory questions related to the Backflow Providers database are the primary subjects handled through this contact channel.

Additional contact options

The administrative office for Backflow Authority handles a defined range of inquiry types. Submissions that fall outside provider network operations — including requests for legal interpretation of state plumbing codes, site-specific engineering assessments, or device certification questions — are outside the scope of this office and should be directed to the relevant licensing authority, water utility, or state plumbing board.

For context on how this provider network is structured and what populations it serves, the page describes the organizational logic behind the providers database, including classification boundaries between residential, commercial, and industrial backflow service providers.

Inquiry categories handled through this office fall into four distinct types:

1. Provider submissions — requests from licensed backflow prevention professionals or companies to be included in the network database
2. Data correction requests — notifications of inaccurate, outdated, or duplicate provider records
3. Regulatory reference questions — general questions about which state agencies, codes, or standards govern backflow prevention in a specific jurisdiction
4. Media and research inquiries — requests from journalists, researchers, or institutional partners regarding the provider network's scope, methodology, or coverage geography

Inquiries that combine multiple categories should be submitted as separate messages to allow accurate routing and response.

How to reach this office

The administrative office for Backflow Authority operates under the Plumbing Services Authority network, which maintains reference properties covering licensed trade sectors across all 50 states. Response times vary by inquiry type. Data correction requests submitted with complete provider identifiers are typically processed within the standard editorial review cycle. Provider submissions require verification against state licensing databases before activation in the network.

The contact form available on this page is the primary intake channel for all inquiry types verified above. Email correspondence is accepted for media and research inquiries where supporting documents — such as press credentials or institutional affiliation letters — need to accompany the initial message.

The office does not provide telephone consultation. Backflow prevention decisions involving specific installations, cross-connection hazard classifications under the USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research's Manual of Cross-Connection Control, or device selection questions governed by American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) Standard 1015 or ASSE Standard 1013 require direct engagement with a licensed professional or the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) over the relevant water system.

Service area covered

Backflow Authority maintains provider network coverage across the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. The providers database includes professionals certified under state-specific backflow prevention tester programs, which are administered differently across jurisdictions. In California, for example, the Department of Public Health oversees cross-connection control certification requirements. In Texas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) governs backflow preventer tester licensing under Title 30, Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 344.

The provider network's national scope means that a single data correction or provider submission may implicate multiple jurisdictional standards. When submitting a correction related to a professional's certification status, the submitting party should identify the issuing state agency to allow accurate verification.

Coverage extends to four primary service categories represented in the providers:

1. Residential backflow testing — annual inspection of reduced pressure zone (RPZ) assemblies and double check valve assemblies serving single-family and multi-family water connections
2. Commercial and industrial testing — inspection of high-hazard assemblies at facilities subject to cross-connection control programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA Cross-Connection Control Program)
3. Installation contractors — licensed plumbing contractors authorized under state law to install backflow prevention assemblies as part of new construction or retrofit projects
4. Repair and rebuild specialists — professionals qualified to service internal components of testable assemblies, including those meeting ASSE performance standards

Geographic gaps in coverage — areas where the provider network does not yet carry active providers — can be reported through the contact form as a provider opportunity submission.

What to include in your message

Complete and specific messages receive faster processing. Incomplete submissions without required identifiers are held pending follow-up, which extends processing time. The following breakdown describes what each inquiry type requires:

Provider submissions
- Full legal business name and primary operating state
- State-issued license or certification number and the issuing agency
- Service categories covered (testing, installation, repair, or combination)
- Geographic coverage area expressed as specific counties, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA), or named cities

Data correction requests
- The name of the provider record as it appears in the Backflow Providers database
- The specific field containing incorrect data (license number, phone, address, certification type)
- The correct value and, where possible, a reference to the public record confirming the correction

Regulatory reference questions
- The state or jurisdiction in question
- The specific regulatory body or code at issue (e.g., a state plumbing board, a municipal water authority, or a named administrative code section)
- Whether the question relates to device classification, installer licensing, testing frequency requirements, or cross-connection control program structure

Media and research inquiries
- Institutional affiliation and the name of the publication, organization, or research project
- The specific aspect of the provider network's coverage, methodology, or geographic scope relevant to the inquiry
- Any deadline or publication timeline applicable to the request

Messages that do not identify an inquiry type are categorized during triage, which adds processing time. Using the subject line to identify the inquiry category — for example, "Provider Submission – [State]" or "Data Correction – [Provider Name]" — routes the message to the correct review process without delay.