City of Pullman

Backflow is a term in plumbing for an unwanted flow of water in the reverse direction. It can be a serious health risk for the contamination of potable water supplies with foul water.

If your property has a potential cross-connection or hazard (for example, boiler, chemical feed equipment, irrigation system, an interconnected fire sprinkler system, or building height 40 or more feet above the point of connection/water meter), then the requirements of the Cross-Connection Control Ordinance, Pullman City Code 10A.40, apply to you. You are required to install an approved backflow prevention assembly and have it tested annually by a Washington State approve Backflow Assembly Tester (BAT).

All potential cross-connections must be protected with an approved backflow prevention assembly. To be approved for use in Pullman, an assembly must be on the “Approved Backflow Prevention Assemblies” list developed by the University of Southern California Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research. The assembly may not be modified or installed in a manner that differs from the configuration tested and approved. New assemblies must be tested immediately after installation by the city's Operations Division staff and once a year thereafter by a BAT hired by the customer. After the initial test, we will send you a notice when annual testing is due. All testing must be performed by an authorized backflow prevention assembly tester.

Test due dates are determined by the type of hazard being protected. Backflow assembly devices that are installed on either commercial or residential irrigation systems are due to be tested no later than July 15 each year. All other devices are due to be tested by October 15 of each year. The City will send you a notice reminding you that testing is due.

The customer is responsible to have each backflow assembly located on their premise tested annually and for submitting an original backflow certification report for each backflow assembly tested (most testers and/or testing companies submit the backflow certification report on behalf of the customer). The customer is responsible to ensure that a tester who is listed on the State of Washington BAT Public List performs all testing and repairs to the backflow assemblies. The test report must be delivered to the City of Pullman Maintenance & Operations (M&O) Division within 30 calendar days of the test and no later than the assembly test date. Most local plumbing companies have a Washington State Backflow Assembly Tester (BAT) on staff.

Each testing company and tester of backflow assemblies shall be listed on the State of Washington BAT Public List and provide a copy of the documents listed below and notify the Operations Division when changes occur. Test reports from a tester and/or a testing company having expired documentation will not be accepted.

• Backflow Assembly Tester Certification
• Test Gauge Annual Calibration Certification Report

The tester and/or testing company shall supply an original backflow assembly test certification report to the customer at the time the assembly is tested and for submission by the customer to the Operations Division (most customers opt to have the tester and/or testing company provide the certification report to the Operations Division). The test certification report shall be on a form approved for use with the City of Pullman. Incomplete test reports will not be accepted and all information shall be current and accurate. Test reports submitted on behalf of the customer must be delivered to the City of Pullman Operations Division within 30 calendar days of the test and no later than the assembly test date.

Test equipment used for the purpose of testing a backflow assembly shall be recognized and approved for such use. No test gauge shall be used for the testing of a backflow assembly that has not successfully passed a valid calibration test within the 12-month period of the date on the backflow assembly report.

Each backflow device tester and/or testing company shall forward the M&O Division a valid original calibration test report for each gauge under their control. The calibration report form shall include the calibration company name, address, telephone number, and the name of the person performing the test and their signature, gauge manufacturer name, gauge model number, gauge serial number, the owner of the gauge and the date of calibration. The calibration report shall indicate the test standards used in the calibration of the gauge.

Many of the local plumbing and landscaping companies have Backflow Assembly Testers on staff. For your convenience a list of companies that have provided their contact information to the City is listed below. In addition, The Washington Certifications Services (WCS) website provides a listing of Backflow Assembly Testers by County.

The City is happy to announce the ability to check the status of your backflow testing online. Please complete and submit your information by clicking here. Once you have submitted your information you will be notified by email that you have access. The first time you login please change your password. If you have already submitted your information and also received the notification, you can view your Backflow Device Test Records at here.