ASSE 5000 series · cross-connection control
The credential between
the water and the hazard
Backflow testers verify the assemblies that keep contamination out of drinking water, on a schedule water authorities enforce. It is skilled, certified, repeat-revenue work, and the path in is written down.
Tested · Tagged · Due again in 3 years
- Training
- 40 hrs min
- Written exam
- 100 q
- Passing
- 70%
- Practical
- Hands-on
- Cert period
- 3 years
ASSE 5110 tester requirements, per ASSE International's published certification criteria. Entry also requires five years of documented experience in plumbing, mechanical, fire protection, lawn irrigation or a related field.
Why this trade compounds
Most credentials get you a job. This one gets you a book of business. Assemblies must be tested on a recurring schedule wherever a water authority requires them, which means the customer you test this year is, in the normal run of things, your customer again. More than 19,000 ASSE-certified backflow professionals across all 50 states and parts of Canada, per ASSE.
And the certification itself renews on the same rhythm: every three years, through an accredited school, with a class, a written exam and a practical. Recertification can be completed up to six months early without losing any certification time, which is the detail organized testers use so a busy season never turns into a lapsed card.
Confirm locally first
Certification requirements and which programs a jurisdiction accepts vary. Before enrolling anywhere, confirm with your water authority or state program which credential it recognizes, then confirm the school is accredited for it.
The ladder
Five credentials, one program
The tester card is the entry point. The 5000 series runs from testing to repair to running a purveyor's whole program.
Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester
The core credential. Testers verify that installed backflow prevention assemblies actually work, on a cycle their water authority enforces.
5120Cross-Connection Control Surveyor
Surveys facilities for cross-connections between potable and non-potable systems and determines the protection each hazard requires.
5130Backflow Prevention Assembly Repairer
Repairs and rebuilds the assemblies that fail testing. Pairs naturally with 5110: the tester who can also repair keeps the whole job.
The instrument this trade runs on
Mid-West 845-5 5-Valve Test Kit
Arbiter Mako MK5 Digital 5-Valve Kit
Acugauge TK Plus 3-Valve Kit
BAC-FLO-5 Test KitConfirm what your jurisdiction's test procedures require before choosing a kit.The kit guide.
The three-year clock sheet
One printable page: every 5000-series requirement, the recert timeline counted back from your expiry date, and the kit checklist. Free.
No spam. One useful sheet and occasional certification notes.