Most backflow test letters that come from the water utility are real. Utilities keep records of the backflow preventers that protect their water mains, and the one on your sprinkler line is often on that list. What usually isn't from the utility is the flyer, door hanger or phone call that turns up a day later. Check the notice using your utility's own phone number and its approved tester list. Then book a certified tester before the deadline.
Key takeaways
- A real notice comes from your utility and names your service address. Flyers, door hangers and cold calls usually come from private vendors (Bend, OR sends letters only by USPS).
- To verify, call the number on your water bill or the utility's .gov site, and pick a tester from its approved list.
- How often you have to test depends on where you live. Longview, TX and Wilsonville, OR require a test every year. Grand Rapids, MI asks for one every five years.
- If you ignore the notice, the utility can shut off your water. Longview says it can also fine owners up to $2,000.
- Even if you don't use your sprinklers anymore, many utilities still want a test. The exceptions are filing an "inactive system" form or physically disconnecting the line.
Why did I get a backflow letter from my water utility?
A backflow preventer (often just called "my backflow") is a valve assembly on the pipe that feeds your sprinkler system. It stops water that has sat in the irrigation pipes, along with fertilizer and lawn chemicals, from being pulled back into the public water supply when pressure drops. As one certified tester put it in a Fort Collins thread, "the Backflow device does not protect your house" (r/FortCollins). It protects everyone else on the system.
Residential sprinkler systems usually have one of three "testable" assemblies, meaning devices with small test ports (test cocks) that a tester connects a gauge to:
- PVB (pressure vacuum breaker): an above-ground device that's common on lawn irrigation.
- Double check (DCVA): two check valves in a row, sometimes installed below ground in a valve box.
- RPZ (reduced pressure zone assembly): two check valves plus a relief valve that dumps water if something goes wrong. It's used where the hazard is higher.
A letter can show up "all of a sudden" because the utility's records show a device at your address, or because a state inspection found gaps in the local program (the reason Longview, TX gives in its FAQ). Utilities don't always get it right. In 2023, a resident of John Day, Oregon wrote that the city's records said he had a device when he didn't, and that the letter had gone out to "everyone on city water" (Blue Mountain Eagle). If you've never had a sprinkler system or a backflow preventer, call the utility before you hire anyone.
Is this backflow notice legit or a scam?
People on local forums ask this all the time. A Grand Rapids homeowner titled their post "Backflow testing - scam?" after getting a notice and then a mailed offer to do the test for $75 (r/grandrapids). An irrigation tech in the same thread replied that the testing is required, but "the letter should come from the city."
| Signal | Official utility notice | Contractor flyer, door hanger or call |
|---|---|---|
| Sender | Water utility, city or water authority | A testing, plumbing or irrigation company |
| Delivery | Mail (Bend sends letters by USPS only) | Mailer, door hanger, phone call, unannounced visit |
| Your details | Your service address, often an account or device reference | "Dear homeowner" or just your address |
| Who does the test | You choose a certified tester. Testers are "independent private contractors" (Wilsonville) | "Call us" or "pay online" |
| Tester list | Often enclosed or linked. Cheney, WA mails one with its notices | Only the sender's company |
Six-step verification checklist
- Don't start with the phone number printed on the letter. Look up the utility's number on your water bill or its official website.
- Check that the service address and account number match your bill.
- Ask the utility three questions. Does your record show a testable device at my address? How often do I have to test? What's my deadline, and how is the test report filed?
- Download the utility's approved or registered tester list. Longview, for example, says it "cannot recommend testers" but publishes a list of registered ones.
- If a company's flyer interests you, check that the company is on that list. Some cities reject reports from testers who aren't registered with them. Lewisville, TX lists this as a reason a report gets rejected.
- Keep a copy of the notice, the passing test report and any confirmation number.
Why did a contractor flyer show up right after the city's notice?
"The very next day I received a flyer in the mail from some company CONVENIENTLY offering me backflow testing," one Grand Rapids resident wrote (r/grandrapids). Testers market during notice season. The City of Bend says door hangers and phone solicitations come from "individual vendors soliciting/advertising to gain your business" (City of Bend).
A flyer isn't automatically a scam. The real risks are hiring a tester who isn't registered with your utility, overpaying, or getting signed up for something you didn't ask for. In one BBB complaint from 2023, a homeowner said a tester came out "without a request, advance warning, or consent." The company replied that many customers are on an "Automatic Return" (BBB). Only sign up for a recurring plan if you choose to, and get the price in writing.
How long do I have, and how often is testing required?
Rules vary a lot, and the deadline on your letter is the one that counts. Some published examples:
| Utility / city | How often | Deadline or enforcement detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longview, TX | At installation, then at least once a year | Water can be shut off until a test is filed. Fine of up to $2,000. No "grandfather" clause | City of Longview |
| Wilsonville, OR | Every year | If you'll be late, schedule a test first, then tell the Backflow Coordinator. After a failed test, retest within 15 days | City of Wilsonville |
| Grand Rapids, MI | City asks for a test every 5 years (the code says annually) | A device tested when the home was built still needs a new test | City of Grand Rapids |
| Lewisville, TX | Not stated for irrigation | The tester has to file the report online within 10 days of the test | City of Lewisville |
| Cheney, WA | Every year | Notices and the tester list are mailed in April, so you can test before spring irrigation | Cheney Free Press |
Not every city requires residential testing. In a 2025 Fort Collins thread, a homeowner concluded after reading the city's rules that residential testing there is "encouraged, not mandatory," even though a sprinkler company had said otherwise (r/FortCollins). Confirm with your utility, or start with our local page for New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth or Austin. See also How Often Is Backflow Testing Required?
What happens if I ignore the backflow letter?
Online, the answers range from "Punishment is they will shut off your water" to "an empty threat boondoggle" (r/StLouis). The official sources are clearer:
- Shut-off: Longview says water service "could be shut off to the property" until the device is tested and the report is filed. Wilsonville warns about "termination of your water service."
- Fines: Longview says owners "could also be fined up to $2,000 for noncompliance."
- Older deadlines: As far back as 2002, a New York Water Service notice warned that failing to comply within 45 days "could result in water being turned off" (HeatingHelp).
Enforcement isn't the same everywhere. During a tester backlog in Twin Falls, Idaho, a specialist said, "No one is coming to lock your water meter, this year," as long as a test was scheduled (KMVT). The cheapest option is almost always to book a tester, and to tell the utility if you'll miss the date. Hiding the device or calling it "inoperable" (both suggested on Reddit) doesn't make the requirement go away.
I don't use my sprinkler system anymore. Do I still need the test?
Usually yes, as long as the system is still connected. Each city handles this differently:
- Grand Rapids, MI: test the device, or disconnect the system and send the city photos.
- Longview, TX: sign an "Inactive Irrigation System Certificate" instead of a yearly test. The certificate becomes void if you use the system.
- Wilsonville, OR: the system "must be physically disconnected" from your plumbing, and removing a backflow assembly requires a plumbing permit.
Don't swap the device for a straight piece of pipe: that's the exact cross-connection the program exists to prevent. Ask your utility for its official procedure.
FAQ
Is backflow testing a scam or a money grab? The requirement itself is real. Utilities run cross-connection programs to protect public drinking water. What deserves your skepticism is unsolicited sales, auto-renewal plans and inflated repair quotes. Always verify the notice with your utility and pick your own tester from its list.
Can my sprinkler company test my backflow? Only if it meets your utility's tester rules. In Grand Rapids, the test has to be done by a licensed plumber who works for an ASSE-certified contractor. A regular irrigation contractor doesn't qualify. See Who can test a backflow preventer?
I rent. The backflow letter came to me. What do I do? Longview tells renters to forward the letter to their landlord. Wilsonville says the owner is responsible, though a lease can shift the job to the tenant. Check your lease and notify the owner quickly so the deadline isn't missed.
How much should a backflow test cost? Prices reported for one residential test run from about $35 (an Oregon utility plan) to about $165 (Memphis, test plus irrigation turn-on). See our backflow test cost guide.
What if my backflow fails the test? You'll need to repair or replace it and get a re-test, often within a set window. Read My backflow failed the test: repair or replace? before you approve a quote.
Compare certified testers near you
Once you've confirmed the notice is real, compare providers on Backflow Compass and prepare a quote request. Use your utility's approved list and your deadline as your filter. Backflow Compass is an independent directory, not a testing company.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice or a compliance determination. Requirements, deadlines and penalties are set by your water utility and local or state rules. Confirm them with your utility or a licensed professional.
Sources
- Backflow testing - scam? (r/grandrapids)
- City of Bend: backflow testing scam alert
- City of Longview, TX: Backflow Prevention FAQ
- City of Wilsonville, OR: Backflow Program FAQ
- City of Grand Rapids, MI: Residential Backflow Testing FAQ (PDF)
- City of Lewisville, TX: Backflow Testing
- Cheney Free Press: Backflow testing required (April 2026)
- Blue Mountain Eagle: letter to the editor on backflow notices (2023)
- BBB complaints: Salem Backflow Testing
- Backflow scam (r/StLouis)
- Is everyone getting their sprinkler backflow assemblies inspected yearly? (r/FortCollins)
- HeatingHelp: Back flow preventor testing (2002)
- KMVT: Backflow testing causes backlog
- BiggerPockets: Backflow testing costs, tenant or landlord (Portland, OR)
- MLGW backflow testing prices? (r/memphis)
Independent general information. Requirements and prices depend on scope, locality, technical standards and current regulations. Verify critical details with qualified professionals and relevant authorities.