Commercial · Multifamily · Residential — Puget Sound, WA
Backflow testing & repair for Puget Sound
Built for commercial properties — restaurants, medical, multifamily, industrial and fire lines — and just as careful with homes. We test, fix what fails, and file with your water utility the same day.
We file withSeattle Public UtilitiesCity of Bellevue UtilitiesTacoma Water (Tacoma Public Utilities)City of Kirkland Public WorksCity of Renton Water UtilityCity of Everett Public WorksCity of Lynnwood Public WorksCity of Mercer Island
We file withSeattle Public UtilitiesCity of Bellevue UtilitiesTacoma Water (Tacoma Public Utilities)City of Kirkland Public WorksCity of Renton Water UtilityCity of Everett Public WorksCity of Lynnwood Public WorksCity of Mercer Island
How it works
Your notice, handled start to finish
Most people get one letter a year about backflow and have no idea what it means. You shouldn’t have to. Here’s the whole thing:
01
Book in two minutes
Pick a window online, or text us a photo of your utility notice. We figure out the assembly, the utility and the due date.
02
We test it
15–30 minutes per assembly with a calibrated differential-pressure gauge, following the USC field test procedures Washington DOH requires.
03
Fix what fails
You see the reading and the problem. Repair kits for common Puget Sound assemblies ride on the truck, so most fixes and retests happen the same visit.
04
Filed. Done. Reminded.
We submit the report to your water utility through whatever system it uses, email you a copy, and text you 30 days before next year’s test is due.
Services
Commercial first. Every assembly.
RPBAs at the meter, detector assemblies on fire lines, equipment protection inside — and the PVB on your lawn too. If it has test cocks, we test it.
Most of the backflow assemblies in Puget Sound aren’t on houses — they’re at the meters of restaurants, clinics, apartment buildings and warehouses. That’s where we focus.
A backflow assembly is a one-way gate between your property and the public water main. Tap through the four scenarios to see why the state wants it tested every year.
← swipe to explore →
Potable water
Non-potable / contaminated
Low pressure / vacuum
Supply60psi
Zone53psi
Property side51psi
Relief valve · statusClosed · OK
Normal flow. Supply pressure pushes both spring-loaded checks off their seats. Check #1’s spring is the stiffest, so the zone between the checks runs several psi below supply — and that difference holds the relief valve shut.
Shown: a Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly (RPBA), required for high-hazard connections. Compare all assembly types →
1× / yr
Minimum test frequency for every assembly under WAC 246-290-490
15days
Tacoma Water’s deadline to receive a test report after the test
5bus. days
Kirkland’s window to repair and retest a failed assembly
$0filing
What we charge to file your report with the utility. It’s included.
Utility lookup
Every utility runs it a little differently
Seattle files through SAMS. Renton uses iBackflow. Mercer Island uses Tokay. Tacoma wants reports in 15 days, Kirkland wants failures fixed in five. We keep track so you don’t have to.
How reports get filedTesters submit through SPU’s SAMS tester portal (the utility moved off email-only submissions). We register our BAT card and test-kit calibration with SPU every year, so your report is never bounced back.
Program rule worth knowingMissed tests can bring SPU non-compliance charges and, eventually, water shutoff — SPU’s reminders don’t shift the responsibility off the owner.
How reports get filedCertified testers submit results through Bellevue’s online tester portal. Your report goes in the same day we test.
Program rule worth knowingAny lawn irrigation or fire sprinkler system in Bellevue needs a backflow assembly — and that assembly needs a passing test every year.
How reports get filedLynnwood accepts reports by email or through its online Backflow Preventer Inspection and Field Test Report form. We file it for you.
Program rule worth knowingEvery assembly must be registered with the City, and an incomplete test report isn’t accepted.
Your water utilitySeattle Public Utilities / North City Water District
How reports get filedFor SPU customers we file through SPU’s SAMS tester portal; for North City customers we submit directly to the District.
Program rule worth knowingShoreline is split between two utilities — Seattle Public Utilities west of I-5 and North City Water District to the east — and each runs its own backflow program.
How reports get filedWe’re registered for Issaquah’s Tokay WebTest portal and enter your results the day we test.
Program rule worth knowingIssaquah only accepts reports through its Tokay WebTest portal (since January 1, 2023) and will terminate service for untested assemblies.
Your water utilityHighline Water District (and others)
How reports get filedHighline accepts test reports by email at its backflow address. We send yours the day we test.
Program rule worth knowingHighline Water District takes test reports by email and serves Burien, Des Moines, SeaTac, Normandy Park and parts of Kent, Tukwila and Federal Way.
Your water utilityCity of Tukwila Water Utility / Highline Water District
How reports get filedWe submit your report to the City of Tukwila or Highline Water District, depending on who serves your address.
Program rule worth knowingTukwila runs its own water utility for residential, commercial and industrial customers — and parts of the city are on Highline Water District.
How reports get filedWe submit test results to the City of Auburn’s cross-connection program.
Program rule worth knowingAuburn requires premises isolation on every water service that isn’t a single-family home — and on single-family homes with irrigation.
Your water utilityLakehaven Water & Sewer District
How reports get filedWe enter your test results in Lakehaven’s online Tokay test-report portal.
Program rule worth knowingLakehaven Water & Sewer District takes backflow test reports online through its Tokay portal and focuses on premises isolation.
How reports get filedWe submit your test report to the City of Edmonds (or to your district, if a district serves your address).
Program rule worth knowingEdmonds runs its own water distribution system (supplied through Alderwood Water & Wastewater District) with its own cross-connection rules under ECC 7.20.
How reports get filedWe file with Tacoma Water’s Water Quality section the day we test.
Program rule worth knowingUniversity Place is largely served by Tacoma Water — sign up for its Authorized Tester Program and your notice comes straight to us.
How reports get filedFor repairs, retests and properties outside the District’s program, we file reports with the District or with whichever utility serves your address.
Program rule worth knowingLakewood Water District runs a coordinated testing program through a contracted tester for customers enrolled in it.
Your water utilityCheck the name on your water bill
Good newsEvery Washington utility follows the same state rule (WAC 246-290-490): test at installation, after repair, and every year. We’re set up with utilities across King, Snohomish and Pierce counties and file reports however yours requires.
01Why do I have to test my backflow assembly every year in Washington?
Washington’s cross-connection control rule, WAC 246-290-490, requires water utilities to make sure every backflow assembly they rely on is tested at installation, after any repair, reinstallation or relocation, and at least annually. Assemblies are mechanical — springs weaken, rubber hardens, debris lodges in seats — and a failed assembly can let contaminated water flow back into the public supply. Your utility enforces the rule, so they send the notice.
02I got a letter from my water utility saying my backflow test is due. What do I do?
Book a certified tester before the due date on the letter, then make sure the tester files the report with your utility. That’s it. We handle the filing for you and send you a copy. If you’re not sure what assembly you have or where it is, send us a photo of the letter — we’ll figure it out. Read our full test notice guide.
03How much does backflow testing cost?
Our residential test starts at $95 for the first assembly and $60 for each additional assembly on the same visit, with filing to your water utility included. Commercial and fire-line assemblies are priced on our pricing page. No trip charge inside our service area.
04Do I need to be home for the test?
Usually not. If the assembly is outside — in a meter box, on an irrigation riser, or against the house — we just need access and the water on. We’ll text when we arrive and when we’re done. For indoor assemblies (fire risers, mechanical rooms, under-sink units) someone needs to let us in.
05What happens if my backflow assembly fails?
We tell you exactly which part failed, show you the gauge reading, and quote the repair on the spot. Most failures are a worn check-valve rubber, a fouled seat, or a tired spring — repairable with a manufacturer repair kit. After the repair, the assembly must be retested before it goes back into service, and that passing test is what gets filed. Some utilities set tight deadlines — Kirkland gives five business days.
06Do you file the test report with my water utility?
Always, and it’s included in the price. We’re registered with the utilities we serve (BAT card and test-kit calibration on file) and use whatever submission system they require — SPU’s SAMS portal, Renton’s iBackflow, Mercer Island’s Tokay portal, or email. You get a copy for your records.
Field test report · next due
Your test is due. We’ll handle it.
Book online in two minutes. We test, repair if needed, and file the report with your water utility — and remind you next year.
