How to become a backflow tester in California
California recognizes backflow testers at the state level. The Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook (CCCPH) governs statewide; the State Water Board publishes the list of recognized/accredited Backflow Assembly Tester certifications (ABPA, ASSE 5110, and CA-NV AWWA are SWRCB-recognized; NCBPA is not), while counties, cities, and other local authorities may add requirements for testers within their boundaries.
- Recognition
- state
- Named programs
- On official pages
- Verified
- Official source
Start at the source
State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water (DDW) oversees cross-connection control here. Its site, www.waterboards.ca.gov, carries the current program requirements, and official pages name American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA), ASSE 5110 Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester, California-Nevada Section AWWA (CA-NV AWWA) among recognized programs.
The path, wherever you are
- Confirm which certifications the authority and your target purveyors accept.
- Complete a recognized tester course, typically a multi-day class ending in a written exam and a hands-on practical on the main assembly families. The ASSE 5110 requirements are the national reference point.
- Register with the authority or each purveyor, per their process, and keep your gauge calibration documented.
- Renew on the recert clock before it lapses: the two-clock sheet makes the schedule automatic, and backflow tester recertification explains the three-year cycle.
Before committing, read what backflow testing pays andhow to become a backflow tester, which walks the course, exam and practical that every state path runs through.
Other states
| Colorado | state |
| Connecticut | state |
| Delaware | hybrid |
| Florida | purveyor |
| Georgia | state |
| Hawaii | hybrid |
| Idaho | state |
| Illinois | state |
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, free
Both clocks of the testing trade, your credential and your customers, counted backward on one printable page. Enter your email and we will send you straight to it.
No spam. One useful sheet and occasional notes.