Your property has a one-way valve the state wants checked
At some point a backflow prevention assembly was installed on your property — most often on a lawn sprinkler system, a fire sprinkler line, or at the water meter of a commercial building. It keeps water from your property from flowing backward into the public drinking water supply.
Washington law (WAC 246-290-490) requires those assemblies to be tested every year by a state-certified Backflow Assembly Tester. Your water utility keeps a record of every assembly in its service area and mails a notice when one is due. That’s the letter.
You don’t send anything to the utility yourself. You hire a certified tester; the tester submits the report.
Decode your letter
The five lines that matter
Notices look different from utility to utility, but nearly all of them include these fields.
01Assembly / device typeUsually an abbreviation — DCVA, RPBA, PVBA, SVBA, DCDA. Tells the tester what to bring.
02Serial number / sizeIdentifies the exact assembly on file. Many properties have more than one.
03LocationWhere the utility thinks it is: “front yard meter box,” “irrigation,” “fire riser,” “mechanical room.”
04Test due dateThe date the utility needs a passing report by — not just the test date. Book a week or two ahead.
05Account / premises IDYour utility’s reference number. Your tester puts it on the report so it matches.
Next steps
Three steps, then you’re done
01
Book before the due date
Give yourself a week or two of cushion in case the assembly fails and needs a repair and retest.
02
Make it accessible
Unlock gates, clear the meter box lid, and make sure the water to the assembly is on. Irrigation that’s winterized can’t be tested until it’s re-pressurized.
03
Get proof it was filed
Your tester should file the report and give you a copy. We email both — plus photos — the same day.
Which utility sent it?
Look up your utility
See how your utility runs its program and how reports get filed.
Your water utilitySeattle Public Utilities
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.
03What happens if I ignore my backflow test notice?
Utilities escalate. Most send a second notice, then a final notice; many charge non-compliance fees (Tacoma Water, for example, can assess $100 per occurrence), and state rules allow utilities to discontinue water service until the cross-connection is protected. It’s far cheaper to just get the test done.
04Do 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
Got the letter? 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.
