How to Find a Certified Backflow Tester Near You

Locating a qualified backflow tester requires navigating a structured licensing landscape that varies by state, is enforced by local water authorities, and is anchored in nationally recognized certification standards. Backflow prevention assemblies must be tested by individuals who hold credentials recognized by the applicable water utility — not simply by any licensed plumber. This page describes how the certification system is structured, where tester qualifications are verified, and what factors determine which type of certified professional a given property or installation requires.

Definition and scope

A certified backflow tester is an individual who has completed a formal examination and field competency assessment specifically for testing, inspecting, and reporting on backflow prevention assemblies. This credential is distinct from a general plumbing license. Plumbing licensure authorizes the installation of piping systems; backflow tester certification authorizes the performance of annual assembly tests, the generation of official test reports, and — in most jurisdictions — the submission of results to the water authority's cross-connection control program.

The regulatory framework governing who may test backflow assemblies flows from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Cross-Connection Control guidelines under the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq.), which direct public water systems to enforce cross-connection control at the distribution level. Each state drinking water program then delegates enforcement to local water authorities, which set the specific credential requirements testers must hold. The result is a patchwork system in which 50 state programs produce divergent qualification standards — some states require ASSE International certification, others accept American Water Works Association (AWWA) credentials, and some authorize only utility-specific approved tester lists.

The ASSE International Series 5000 standards represent the most widely referenced benchmark for backflow tester qualification in the United States. ASSE 5110 covers field testers of backflow prevention assemblies; ASSE 5120 covers cross-connection control program specialists. These two credential tiers define different scopes of authorized work across the industry. The USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research also publishes a Manual of Cross-Connection Control that water utilities and state programs use as a technical reference for structuring tester approval requirements.

Refer to the Backflow Listings directory for jurisdiction-indexed tester records organized by service area.

How it works

The process of locating and engaging a certified backflow tester follows a defined sequence tied to the regulatory workflow of the applicable water authority.

1. Identify the governing water authority. The local water utility — not the state plumbing board — typically maintains the official list of approved testers for its service area. Contact the utility's cross-connection control department or retrieve the approved tester list from its public website.

2. Confirm credential type required. The water authority's program documents will specify whether ASSE 5110, a state-issued backflow certification, AWWA credentials, or a utility-specific approval is required. Not all nationally certified testers are approved in every jurisdiction.

3. Verify current licensure status. Tester certifications carry expiration dates — ASSE certifications must be renewed on a defined cycle. A tester whose credential has lapsed is not authorized to submit valid test reports to the utility.

4. Match tester to assembly type. Reduced pressure zone (RPZ) assemblies, double check valve assemblies (DCVA), pressure vacuum breakers (PVB), and atmospheric vacuum breakers (AVB) each require specific test equipment and procedural knowledge. Confirm the tester is qualified for the specific assembly type installed.

5. Confirm test report filing obligations. In most jurisdictions, the tester — not the property owner — is responsible for submitting the completed test report to the water authority within a defined window, often 10 to 30 days following the test. Failure to file results in a compliance deficiency recorded against the property's service account.

The backflow-directory-purpose-and-scope page describes how tester directories are structured and what verification steps the directory intake process applies.

Common scenarios

Residential irrigation systems represent one of the highest-volume testing categories. Properties with in-ground irrigation connected to a potable supply are typically required under local cross-connection control ordinances to have the backflow assembly — usually a PVB or RPZ — tested annually. The homeowner is responsible for scheduling the test; the approved tester must be drawn from the utility's recognized list.

Commercial and industrial properties face a broader matrix of assembly types. A food service facility may have an RPZ on the main service line, a separate DCVA on a fire suppression line, and AVBs at individual fixtures — each requiring separate test documentation. Large facilities commonly retain a single certified contractor to manage all assemblies under a single annual service agreement.

New construction integrates backflow testing into the certificate of occupancy workflow. Many water authorities require an initial commissioning test before a new backflow assembly is placed into service, separate from the annual testing cycle that follows.

Facilities with high-hazard connections — chemical processing, medical gas systems, dialysis centers — require RPZ assemblies rather than DCVAs. Substituting a DCVA for a required RPZ at a high-hazard connection violates code under the International Plumbing Code (ICC IPC) and exposes the public water supply to health-hazard contamination pathways.

Decision boundaries

The central decision boundary in tester selection is jurisdictional approval status, not credential tier alone. A tester holding a valid ASSE 5110 certification who is not on the local water authority's approved list cannot produce a test report the utility will accept. Before engaging any tester, the authority's current approved list must be checked — these lists are updated as certifications are added, lapse, or are revoked.

The secondary boundary separates testers who can test only from testers who can test and repair. Some jurisdictions require that a licensed plumber perform any assembly repair, while a separately credentialed tester performs the pre- and post-repair tests. Other jurisdictions allow a single licensed contractor holding both a plumbing license and backflow certification to complete the full service cycle. This distinction affects how property managers structure service contracts.

A third boundary applies to assembly classification. RPZ assemblies installed at high-hazard connections require testers with documented experience on that assembly type, and some utilities maintain separate approved lists for high-hazard versus low-hazard testing. DCVAs and RPZs are not interchangeable protection levels — the International Plumbing Code and ASSE standards treat them as distinct hazard-response tiers.

For additional context on how the tester directory on this site is organized and how to interpret listing information, see how-to-use-this-backflow-resource.

References

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Cross-Connection Control
• EPA — Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq.
• ASSE International — Backflow Prevention Standards (ASSE 5000 Series)
• USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research — Manual of Cross-Connection Control
• International Code Council — International Plumbing Code (2021)
• American Water Works Association — Cross-Connection Control