Backflow Preventer Testing and Repair in Glendale, Arizona

Glendale runs its own backflow program with its own paperwork, so the local rules matter more for this service than for any other on the site.

The rule, and who it covers

Glendale City Code Chapter 33 requires the installation, testing and maintenance of an approved backflow prevention device at every service connection. The Cross Connection Control program inside Water Services runs it. That covers City of Glendale water customers. A home in one of the unincorporated county islands between 75th Avenue and El Mirage Road may have a Glendale mailing address and a different water provider, so check the bill before assuming the city's rules apply.

How a Glendale test works

The city's tester policy sets out the process from the tester's side:

1. A notice. The policy advises testers to get a copy of the owner's notification letter before testing, so the city's letter is usually the starting point.
2. A recognized tester. Reports are accepted only from testers on the city's List of Recognized Testers. Testers recertify every three years and can be removed from the list if their gauge calibration reports lapse.
3. An online report. The tester files the report through the city's online system by the end of the month it is due. Incomplete reports, such as those missing the meter or serial number, are sent back.
4. Pressure vacuum breakers. Every pressure vacuum breaker in Glendale is also tested for backpressure, a city-specific step.

The city states that commercial customers must have assemblies inspected every year. It does not publish a residential interval on the same page, so follow the notice you receive.

When the assembly fails

A failed test may mean a rebuild with new parts or a full replacement. A replacement is permitted work. The city requires a backflow permit from the Development Services Center on Glendale Avenue for every installation, retrofit and replacement, then an inspection under the irrigation-line backflow code. The city will not accept a test report on a new or replaced assembly without the permit and an inspection of the assembly and its underground piping.

Between tests

Watch the assembly between tests. Water dripping from the relief port, a cracked body after a cold night, or a missing test-cock cap are reasons to call a tester rather than wait for the next notice. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension puts the average first frost across the Phoenix area between late November and mid-December, so cover or insulate an exposed assembly before then. Do not take the assembly apart yourself; the city ties any replacement to a permit and an inspection.

Licensing

Because a permit is required, the Arizona exemption for jobs under 1,000 dollars does not apply. The Registrar of Contractors includes backflow prevention devices within its Hardscaping and Irrigation Systems licence class, among others. Check the licence number in the Registrar's public contractor search before work starts, and keep a copy of every test report.

The backflow service page explains what the assembly does. The Glendale backflow rules guide walks through notices, permits and reports, and how to choose an irrigation contractor covers licence checks.