SFPUC Backflow Testing Requirements

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) manages the Cross-Connection Control Program for all properties connected to the San Francisco municipal water system. The program is administered by SFPUC's Water Quality Division and requires annual testing of all backflow prevention assemblies.

SFPUC's program follows California Title 17 regulations and San Francisco's Plumbing Code requirements. The utility provides water to approximately 2.7 million customers in San Francisco and parts of the Bay Area, maintaining strict cross-connection control standards to protect the regional water supply from contamination through backflow events.

Annual backflow testing is required for all properties with backflow prevention assemblies on SFPUC water connections. This includes:

• Commercial buildings with fire protection systems, cooling systems, or boilers
• Restaurants and food service establishments
• Medical offices, dental clinics, and hospitals
• Multi-family residential buildings with fire sprinkler systems or shared irrigation
• Properties with RPZ assemblies, double check valve assemblies (DCVA), or pressure vacuum breakers (PVB)
• Any property with an auxiliary water supply (well, rainwater harvesting) connected to the premises where SFPUC service also exists
• Laundromats, car washes, and facilities with chemical injection systems

Backflow testers working in San Francisco must hold a valid certification from an SFPUC-recognized certifying body. Accepted certifications include AWWA, ABPA, and USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research.

Testers must complete a California-approved 32-hour training program and pass written and hands-on examinations. All test gauges must be calibrated annually by a certified calibration laboratory, and testers must carry proof of current calibration during testing. SFPUC may audit tester records and require proof of certification and gauge calibration.

SFPUC requires test reports to be submitted through their designated online portal. Most certified testers in the Bay Area are set up to submit electronically on behalf of property owners.

Reports must include the device type, manufacturer, model number, serial number, size, location on the property, complete test results, and the tester's certification credentials and gauge calibration date. Property owners receive confirmation from SFPUC once a passing report is on file.

SFPUC requires all backflow prevention assemblies to be tested annually. Testing deadlines are based on the anniversary date of the previous test. The utility sends compliance notices 60–90 days before the due date.

Properties that miss their testing deadline receive a second notification. Continued non-compliance may result in administrative fees and potential water service discontinuation per San Francisco Municipal Code requirements.

Failed devices must be repaired and re-tested within 30 days. If repairs cannot restore the assembly to working condition, replacement and re-testing are required within the same timeframe.