How to become a backflow tester in Colorado
Colorado recognizes backflow testers at the state level. Regulation 11 (5 CCR 1002-11, the 'backflow rule') defines a Certified Cross-Connection Control Technician as a person holding a valid Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester certification from ASSE or ABPA; water suppliers must verify technician certification, ensure annual testing, and file a backflow annual report, and 2025's HB25-1077 confirms certified technicians may inspect, test, and repair devices.
- Recognition
- state
- Named programs
- On official pages
- Verified
- Official source
Start at the source
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Water Quality Control Division oversees cross-connection control here. Its site, cdphe.colorado.gov, carries the current program requirements, and official pages name American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE), American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA) 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
| Connecticut | state |
| Delaware | hybrid |
| Florida | purveyor |
| Georgia | state |
| Hawaii | hybrid |
| Idaho | state |
| Illinois | state |
| Indiana | 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.