Backflow Testing Requirements in Denver, Texas and Toronto

A backflow prevention assembly stops water from your building flowing back into the public water supply when pressure drops. Fire sprinkler lines, irrigation systems, boilers and many commercial processes can all contaminate drinking water, so water providers require assemblies on these connections and require them to be tested regularly.

Rules are set locally by each water provider and city, so here is how three of the markets on The Fire Protection Network handle it.

Denver, Colorado

• Denver Water requires backflow assemblies on commercial, industrial, domestic, irrigation and fire line services, and on some homes depending on the hazard at the site.
• Customers with an auxiliary water supply, such as a well or pond, also need protection.
• Assemblies must be tested when they are installed and every year after that.
• Testing must be done by a certified backflow prevention assembly tester, and results go to Denver Water’s Cross-Connection Control office.

Compare backflow testing companies in Denver.

Texas, including College Station and Bryan

• Anyone who tests or repairs backflow prevention assemblies in Texas must hold a Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester licence from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
• Testing and repair on fire lines is limited to licensed testers permanently employed by an approved fire line contractor.
• Your water provider sets testing deadlines and reporting rules. The City of College Station keeps a list of testers registered with the city.

Compare backflow testing companies in College Station.

Toronto, Ontario

• The City of Toronto’s Water Supply By-law requires premise isolation backflow prevention on industrial, commercial and institutional properties, Part 3 residential buildings under the Ontario Building Code and construction sites.
• Devices must be tested when installed, within 72 hours after they are cleaned, repaired, replaced or serviced, and at least once a year.
• Tests must be done by a Certified Cross Connection Control Specialist, such as a qualified plumber, engineer or sprinkler fitter, who is registered with the city’s Backflow Prevention Program.
• The tester submits the report through the city’s online form, and both the tester and the owner get an email confirmation.

What happens during a backflow test?

The tester connects a test kit to the assembly’s test cocks, briefly shuts off water through the device and checks that the check valves and relief valve hold at the right pressures. If a part fails, the assembly is repaired or rebuilt and tested again. A typical test takes less than an hour per assembly, but the water on that line may be shut off during the test, so plan ahead for occupied buildings.

Tips for owners

• Make a list of every assembly on your property, including irrigation and fire lines, with its size, location and serial number.
• Book the backflow test at the same time as your annual sprinkler inspection where the fire line has an assembly.
• Ask your tester to submit the report for you and send you a copy for your records.
• Keep failed test reports until the repair and retest are complete.

Find a backflow tester

Browse all backflow testing companies on The Fire Protection Network.