To become a Certified Backflow Tester, you will have to take a course lasting a minimum of 30 hours. These courses are controlled and operated by the authority having jurisdiction in your area and are to the standards of the AWWA (American Water Works Association). You will be required to purchase the cross connection control manual and pay a fee, to be determined by the course provider (approximately $800, depending on your area). Upon completion of the course, you will be certified to test backflow preventers for a maximum of 5 years before you will need to re-certify (the re-certification is a shortened, 9 hour version of the same course).
Although the Backflow Certification course is open to a wide variety of occupations, such as Plumbers, sprinkler fitters, pipe fitters, engineers, building maintenance workers and so on. They may not be eligible to test in their jurisdiction, as some municipalities will have more stringent standards, for example: some locations require the journeymen to be qualified for 5 years before being eligible to write the backflow prevention exam. For regulations in your area, you should consult your local municipal authority prior to taking this course.
Backflow Certification Course Outline
- Theory
- History
- Legal and health aspects
- Local codes and bylaws
- Forms, tags
- Symbols and abbreviations
- Types of backflow prevention devices and how they operate
- Hazard classification and device selection
- Hands on testing of all devices
- Written exam with a minimum pass mark of 75%